NOTES BY TEE WAY-SIDE, 



ON 



$ %mx for Jcaltjj ani Itaatitm, 



ON THE SEA 



IN ENGLAND, FEANCE, AND BELGIUM. 



BY GEORGE SMITH FISHER. 



NtftD-jJork: 

DERBY & JACKSON, PUBLISHERS, 

NO. 119 NASSAU-STREET. 
1858. 



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THE DEAR COMPANION OF HOME, 



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THIS SMALL VOLUME 



MOST AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED, 



THE AUTHOR. 



PREFACE. 



The following pages were written to while away some 
passing leisure hours, and to preserve the impressions and 
scenes of a brief journey undertaken for the recovery of 
health, rather than with any view to enter into critical 
discussion on the objects which principally attract the tra- 
veler's attention, or to make strict inquiry and careful 
comparisons, as to the matters which naturally present 
themselves for philosophical investigation. 

Almost every traveler writes his book, and many of 
ability, and some of glowing interest, are constantly being 
issued from the press ; yet we venture to issue still 
another, without, we trust, being thought presumptuous 
or egotistical. 

While seeking health, information, and recreation 
amidst the cities and scenes of Europe, delighted and in- 
terested by the novel and changing landscape, the various 
phases of life, the antiquities, noble edifices, splendid and 



VI PREFACE, 

immortal works of art, and various other things, the 
writer of this volume could not refrain from communicat- 
ing to a few friends the thoughts that were suggested, 
descriptions of the places and districts he passed through, 
and of the most interesting objects with which he met. 
The Letters thus written are now republished with the 
intention and expectation of preserving cherished reminis- 
cences, and of gratifying a somewhat larger circle of 
friends, than they could reach without the aid of the press. 
We do not all see the same things in the same aspect ; and 
even without hoping to satisfy the critical few, or the 
mass of general readers, we may still hope to meet with 
some who may find pleasure, and perchance profit in our 
humble work. 

"We have in these Letters told the simple, plain, unvar- 
nished truth, and endeavored to picture everything as it is. 
"We tried to see with our own eyes, exclusively, and with- 
out prejudice or partiality ; everywhere admiring the beau- 
tiful, with our whole hearts, and wishing to look at the 
pleasant side of things. Yain speculations and extrava- 
gant or fulsome adulation, we never indulge in, at home 
or abroad. Praise, flattery, sneering, denunciation, we 
have no occasion to employ, and have avoided at all times 
and in all places ; and nothing of the kind, we hope, has 
crept into this volume. 

Some may wish that more details had been given, and 
that more technical language had been used in the des- 



PREFACE, Vll 

criptions of building, pictures, &c. ; but as plainness is 
always practicable, and we desired to be comprehensible 
to all our readers, we have avoided these as much as 
possible, consistently with clearness and truthfulness. 
There will doubtless be many errors discoverable — these 
we can only hope may be covered with the mantle of 
charity. 

Most of those who will meet with, and, perhaps from 
friendly feeling rather than for its own sake, read this 
book, are aware that we left our much-loved home en- 
feebled in body, and depressed in mind, by a long and 
painful illness— disease too literally gnawing at our vitals. 
"We found no little pleasure in jotting down and sending 
to our friends this correspondence, and if those for whom 
it was originally intended were as much pleased, we were 
amply repaid. If we shall be the means of affording some 
little amusement or instruction to a few more friendly 
readers, we shall again be well satisfied with the result of 
the trouble we have been at in giving this humble produc- 
tion a wider circulation. 

If any think that we have put things in too favorable a 
light, or exaggerated the superiority of Europe in its edi- 
fices and works of art, as compared with our country, let 
them remember that a young republic needs not, and 
can hardly expect to possess, the splendor and luxury of an 
old monarchy ; and that though there is in the countries 
we visited abundant material for the bitterest criticism, 



Vlli PREFACE. 

the object of our journey made us seek what was most 
agreeable. We should make no excuse, even if convinced 
that we had depicted in too glowing colors the good qual- 
ities of those by whom we were treated with so much 
kindness and cordiality. 

The obligations of writer and reader should be mutual, 
and may we not be permitted to hope that both may find 
some pleasure and benefit in the acquaintance here com- 
menced ? 

THE WRITER. 

Ottawa, November, 1857> 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



LETTER I. 



Author's reasons for traveling — New York Bay — Daily speed of 
the Persia — Cape Race — No Icebergs — Phosphorescence of the sur- 
face of the Ocean — The Church of England Service read on board on 
Sunday — The reproach and inconsistency of American Slavery — An 
awkward subject for the American Traveler — Amusements. 



LETTER II. 

Feelings in mid-ocean — The Table, miscellaneousness of the Com- 
pany, good fellowship, &c. on board — Anticipations — " The merry 
homes of England "— " A Whale !"— First sight of land— The Isle of 
Man — At anchor — Liverpool — The shortest passage ever made — Cus- 
tom House Officers — " The Feathers." 



CONTENTS. 



LETTER III. 



Apparently unprotected situation of Liverpool — The Docks — The "U < 
S. Steam-frigate Niagara taking the Cable on board — Singular names 
of Hotels — Origin of the name of Liverpool — Dingy appearance of 
the City — Amount of population — General appearance of the People — 
Absence of the ruddiness of Complexion for which the English have the 
credit — The plan and streets of the City' — Surprising number of drink- 
ing houses — Misery and drunkenness met with in the streets — Neal 
Dow expected; much wanted — Public buildings of the city — Capacity 
and magnificence of the Liverpool Docks — Quantity of shipping and 
extent of the commerce of the City — The Exchange — The Post 
Office — Seaman's Home — St. George's Hall — Railway Depot — The 
Town Hall — Zoological Gardens — Mortality and sanitary condition of 
the population of Liverpool — Rapid growth of the City — Comparison 
with New York — Appearance of the country — The live hedges- 
Abundance of trees. 



LETTER IY. 

From Liverpool to London — Beautiful appearance of the country 
passed through — Smithfield — Fine statue to Stevenson the railroad 
engineer — Visit to St. Paul's Cathedral — Tombs, monuments, statues 
there — Moral value of such memorials — The Tower of London — The 
Traitor's Gate — Bloody Tower — White Tower — Collection of arms of 
all kinds and periods — Dungeons — Relics — Effigies in ancient armor 
— Beauchamp's Tower — The.Crown Jewels — The Royal Exchange — 
The Bank of England — Mansion House — London Bridge — The Thames 
— Its size, shipping, traffic — Kew Botanical Gardens — Visit to a wheat- 
field — The English farmers. 



CONTENTS. XI 



LETTER V. 



The Surrey Zoological Gardens — Julien and his band of one hun- 
dred and fifty performers — Fire-works — Good order — Visit to the 
Foundling Hospital — Dr. Cummings — Windsor Palace — Ceesar's Tow- 
er — The Queen's Audience Chamber — The Ball Room — Van Dyke 
Room — Drawing Room — The Waterloo Chamber — St. George's Hall— 
The Terraces — St. George's Chapel — The beautiful Cenotaph to the 
Princess Charlotte — The Round Tower — The magnificent view from its 
summit — The Royal Stables — Windsor Park — The Long Walk — a 
little Yankee guessing — Prince Albert's farming operations — Madame 
Tussaud's Historical Wax-work Gallery in London — A surprising and 
interesting Exhibition — Its numerous figures — Relics — Chamber of 
Horrors, &c. 



LETTER YI. 

The Bridges over the Thames — Somerset House — The New Houses 
of Parliament — The Victoria Tower — Large Bell — The House of 
Commons — A Debate — The House of Lords — Westminster Abbey — 
Monuments, ancient Tombs, venerable and impressive appearance 
— The Lungs of London — St. James's Park — Buckingham Palace — 
Green Park — Hyde Park — St. James's Palace — The W'est End — Na- 
tional Monuments — Regent's Park — The Regent's Zoological Gardens 
— Grand Concert for the benefit of a colored lady, Mrs. Seacole — 
" God save the Queen"— A London Cattle Market — The Prices— Co- 
vent Garden Market — The Crystal Palace at Sydenham— Grandeur 
and variety of the exhibition — The Beautiful Gardens of the Palace. 






Xll CONTENTS. 



LETTER VII. 

London from the Dome of St. Paul's — The Brewers' Horses — Car- 
riage Horses — Clumsiness of the London vehicles — London Bridge — 
London fogs — Taste of the London atmosphere — Climate — Cost of 
living in London — Health of the population constantly improving — 
Exclusiveness tof Society — The Poor — Begging — Dodges — Training 
Thieves and Pickpockets for the profession — Historical Associations— 
The Great Eastern (now the Leviathan) — Greenwich Hospital — 
Anglo-Saxondom — English superciliousness and self-importance — The 
united Anglo-Saxon race irresistible. 



LETTER VIII. 

Delightfulness of the landscape in Kent and Surrey — Ramsgate, the 
favorite Watering-place — The Downs — The Goodwin Sands — The 
original Bleak House — The Parks of the Nobility — Habit of secluding 
residences from public observation as much as practicable — Love of 
home and retirement — The Fens of Lincolnshire — The city of Lincoln 
— The Cathedral — Glorious Architecture of the Dark Ages — Stained 
glass Windows — The moderns inferior in the art of staining glass — 
Specimen of the Mosaic Pavement of the Romans — Lincoln Castle — 
Roman remains and road — St. Mary's Stowe — Cost of living in the 
country in Lincolnshire — Appearance of the country people — Sheffield 
— The manufacturing districts — Manchester — Appearance of the City 
— The Manchester Exhibition of the " Art Treasures of Great Britain." 



CONTENTS. Xlll 

LETTER IX. 

The Manchester Exhibition — English Railways and Locomotives — 
Dover — France — Calais — Number of military men — Different appear- 
ance of the country in France from that of England — Absence of 
hedges and fences — Planting the roadsides with trees — The rural pop- 
ulation gathered into villages, not scattered as in England and America 
— Women and Children at work in the field and towing canal boats — 
Fields of the sugar beet — Windmills — Paris — Prepossessing appear- 
ance of the City— The Rue Rivoli— The Palace of the Tuileries— 
The Palace Gardens — Surpassing magnificence of some of the saloons 
of the Palace— Triumphal Arch— The Hotel de Ville— Notre Dame 
— Columns and roof of a Cathedral papered — High Mass in Notre 
Dame— The Madeline— Cheerful appearance of Paris— Fondness of 
the people for being out of doors — The Cafes and Restaurants — The 
Boulevards — Soldiers everywhere — Cheapness and habitual use of 
wine — Horse meat 



LETTER X. 

The Place Vendome — Noble Triumphal Column of the metal of cap- 
tured cannon — The Pantheon — Tombs of Voltaire and Rousseau — 
The Jardin des Plantes — Palace of the Luxembourg — The Chamber 
of Peers — The magnificence of the Salle du Trone — The Galleries of 
Paintings — Palace Garden — Scene of the infamous execution of Mar- 
shal Ney— The Tomb of Napoleon— Hotel des Invalides— No Me- 
morial of Josephine — Evening scenes in Paris — The Champs Elysees 
— Place de la Concorde — Site of the Guillotine — The Boulevards of 



XIV CONTENTS. 

p ar i s — Boulevard des Italiens at night — The Column of July — Ri- 
vo li — Church of St. Roche — Admirable Painting of the Crucifixion 
—The Magnificent Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile— The Bois de Bou- 
logne — Military School — Church of St. Sulpice. 



LETTER XI. 

Visit to the Louvre — Gallery of Paintings over thirteen hundred 
feet in length — Value of some of the pictures — Murillo's ^Immaculate 
Conception of the Virgin — Relics and Antiquities — The Bourse — The 
Gobelin Manufactory — Surprising Tapestry Work — Palais du Justice 
— Scenes famous in the Reign of Terror — Visit to Versailles — A De- 
serted City. — The Palace a national exhibition of French works of art 
— Picture of the Retreat from Russia — The surprise of the Arab 
Camp, by Horace Vernet, one hundred feet in length — Curious Clocks 
Splendid apartment — Gallery devoted to pictures of battles — Salle 
Napoleon — An instance of the popularity of the Anglo-French Alli- 
ance — Six miles of Galleries and Saloons — The Grounds and Gardens 
of the Palace — Incredible cost of forming and ornamenting them — 
Efficiency of the Paris Police — Omnipresence of the Secret Police — 
Regulation of the Public Vehicles — Few beggars — Apparent happi- 
ness and contentment of the Parisians. 



LETTER XII. 

Brussels — The country roads lined with fine trees — Opposite charac- 
teristics of the English and French— English love of seclusion — 
French love of display — The Cathedral at Brussels — Grand represen- 
tation of the Judgment on stained glass — The Boulevards of Brussels 



CONTENTS. XV 

finer than those of Paris — Parliament Houses — Statues and Fountains 
— Character of the population of Brussels — The Hotel de Ville — 
Surprising number of beggars — Lace Manufactures — Verses from 
Byron — Visit to the Field of Waterloo — Sergeant Munday — A fair 
field — Strategy of Wellington — La Haye Sainte — The Imperial Guard 
— The Highlanders — "Up, Guards, and at them!" — Hogoumont — 
Wellington's Position — The red walls mistaken for red coats — The 
British Lion — Museum of Relics — Reflections on the battle — Beggar 
Children — Abundance of soldiers — Fine appearance of the men — Visit 
to Antwerp — Fortifications of that city — The celebrated Cathedral of 
Antwerp — Statues and paintings — Great pictures by Rubens of the 
Descent from the Cross, and the Elevation of the Cross — Museum — 
Statue of Van Dyke — Church of St. Jerome — Church of St. Jaques 
— Monuments of Rubens and his Daughter — Surprising Sculpture of 
the Crucifixion — Antwerp Exchange — Markets — Ghent — Appearance 
of the country — Field work mostly done by women and children — 
Anomalies — Disregard of the Sabbath — Comfort and prosperity of the 
people of Belgium. * 



LETTER XIII. 

Dover — Queen Elizabeth's Pocket Pistol — Few soldiers in England 
— Deal — Sandwich — Roman remains at Richboro — Recession of the 
sea from an ancient port — Roman Masonry — Reflections — Curious coat 
of arms — Epitaphs — Freshness of the verdure compared with that of 
the Continent — Canterbury — The residence of the first Christian 
Missionaries to England — Canterbury Cathedral — The Shrine of 
Thomas a Becket — Canterbury Pilgrims — Curious arrangement for 
playing an organ at a distance — Tomb of Edward the Black Prince — 
An old chair — Irish bog-oak, curious facts with regard to that wood — 



XVI CONTENTS. 

Curious epitaphs — The First Christian Church in Britain — The British 
Museum — Its fine collection of specimens of animals, &c. — Its anti- 
quities — Layard's Exhumations The Bank of England — Manufactur- 
ing money — Visit to the vaults of the London Docks — Eleven acres of 
barrels and puncheons of wines and brandies under ground — London a 
great wine-producing district — The Thames Tunnel — Croydon — A 
Birthday Celebration — English love of home pleasures — Englishmen 
at home — Business cares left at the place of business — The Crystal 
Palace again — The delightful fountains — The Wellingtonia — London 
Club Houses — Mr. Spurgeon— His eloquence and independence — The 
" Old Hundred," sung by the congregation of ten thousand— South- 
ampton — Homeward Bound. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 



LETTER No. I. 

At sea, on board the Royal Mail Steamer 
Persia, July 14£A, 1857. 
My Dear Father £***** : 

You will well remember that when we left home on the 
25th ultimo, we were feeling quite as ill as ever at any 
time since life here dawned upon us ; hut as it was in pur- 
suit of health and nothing else, our hope was still large and 
our spirits cheered with the fond belief (being buoyant in 
expectation naturally) that, with the travel by land, the 
voyage over the deep, change of climate and scenery, and 
an entire relaxation from care and business, we would find, 
measurably at least, the relief we sought and so ardently 
and anxiously longed for. We did enter on our journey 
with feelings such as we never before experienced, and such 
as we never expected to have in our life ; feelings that, per- 
haps, our last adieus had been spoken to loved ones behind, 
and some fears that feeble health might wax into declining 



12 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 

and irretrievable waste of mind and body, and the grave 
claim its hopeless victim. Hope, however, was not all 
gone, and we confidently entered upon our journey. 

Health, you know, is all that life is worth, next to living 
as mortals should live, with some end in view besides that 
supreme self that is the idol of at least one half of man- 
kind. And if we are to live for self alone, having no care, 
thought, or desire for the welfare and prosperity of others, 
individually or collectively, then surely we were created 
for a small purpose, not to say a most miserable end. That 
man who so lives — and our every day's experience teaches us 
there are many, many, such, even in our limited acquaint- 
ance, and who seemingly have not even a care how others 
live : whether they live or die ; not a thought of any one 
but self — their own supreme self — is certainly not to be 
envied, though he be rich as Croesus. He is bound to die as 
the fool dieth. The flattering unction that such men lay up 
for their souls will be bitter, even to the "bitter end," ere 
they give up the ghost of this life.; and we will not think 
they certainly cannot) of the everlasting. 

The cars roiled us away from our parting view, our 
friends and our home, in almost a twinkling, and on to the 
emporium of the Great West, Chicago, in the usual time, 
without special incident, and our thought too deep for much 
utterance. And having reached there without particular 
fatigue, the evening being pleasant and giving promise of 
a beauteous night, and that it would be far more agreea- 
ble to pursue our way while the bright stars were keeping 
their vigils, and the silvery moon shining full in her strength 
and queenly pride, than beneath the blaze and glory of a 
noontide sun, with its sweltering heat and burning rays — 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 13 

for it promised to be exceedingly hot and dusty the next 
day — we pushed on the same evening to Toledo, via the 
Michigan Southern Railway, reaching there at 8 o'clock 
in the morning, and laid over there from that time to 4 
o'clock P. M., at which time we went on board the boat 
and on her proceeded to Buffalo. The good steamer, 
Southern Michigan, cut through the water at a vigorous 
rate, having left Toledo at half past 4 o'clock, and we were 
landed at the dock in Buffalo at half past 8 o'clock the fol- 
lowing morning The crops through the State of Michi- 
gan looked sickly enough, with the exception of the win- 
ter wheat, which gave good promise of an abundant 
yield. 

Having recruited by a cheerful two days' rest with our 
dear friends at Buffalo, we, on Monday the 29th, while the 
dews of heaven were gently distilling their soft showers 
along our iron pathway, much to our relief and comfort 
from dust, evenly pursued our way to the old Knicker- 
bocker town of Albany, and there stowed ourselves for a 
night's rest by "tired nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep," 
on the splendid steamer, Isaac Newton. The almost noise- 
less paddles rocked us to sweet slumbers, and having awak- 
ened from our couches we found ourselves in the great me- 
tropolis of New- York at 7 o'clock the next morning. Of 
course we missed the magnificent scenery of this more 
than Rhine of the Western World ; but having seen it 
often before, though always refreshing to the eye, and the 
more seen the more enjoyed, we did not feel as those 
might be supposed to feel who had read vivid descriptions 
of it and not seen it. 

The crops of cereals through the " Empire State" 



14 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

were barely beginning to show themselves above ground, 
the golden Ceres just peeping out here and there ; but 
winter wheat looked uncommonly thrifty to our eye, and 
its lovely green matted blades gave promise of an ample 
return for weary labors of the industrious husbandman, un- 
less destroyed by some unforeseen calamity. Making a busi- 
ness tour into the State of Connecticut, from the windows 
of the cars, so far as could be seen, the crops there looked 
exceedingly well — indeed quite as forward as any we had 
seen in our own fair Illinois, and from all appearances 
quite as neatly attended to. Wheat, oats, rye, barley, 
potatoes, and " Weathersfield apples," too, looked remark- 
ably promising. 

On the evening of the 7th instant we embarked on board 
this " good ship," then lying at anchor in the middle of the 
stream, North River side of New-York, and at half past 8 
o'clock the next morning, with a clear and beautiful sky, 
a sweet and delightful atmosphere, a gentle sea breeze and 
calm waters, weighed anchor and proudly steamed down 
the beautiful bay. How charming, indeed, is that unsur- 
passed sheet of water, dotted over with white spreading 
sails of every nation, hurrying steamers and darting ferries, 
pleasure-going yachts and swift-handed row boats ; the 
lovely hillsides and slopes of Long Island, Staten Island, 
Governor's Island, with great Manhattan and her hundreds 
of spires, the City of Churches, the quiet Jersey shore, 
the pleasant cottages, noble mansions, villas, avenues and 
gardens, and the frowning batteries of her numerous forts. 
New- York bay is a lovely mirror of beauty in a sweet 
summer's morning. 

At twelve o'clock, having left behind us the Narrows 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 15 

and lost sight of spire and city, and almost our native land, 
we discharged our pilot and bore away over the blue of the 
deep with as pleasant a load of passengers as ever left our 
shores, numbering in all two hundred and thirty-two souls, 
beside the officers and crew of one hundred and sixty-four 
men ; some seeking more genial climes for health to bright- 
en cheek and heart ; some pursuing pleasure on foreign 
shores, and some on business, bent after the " almighty 
dollar," but all with pleasant faces, beaming with joy- 
ful hopes. Fortunately the wind was light, and no sea of 
great rolling waves to disturb the steadiness of the ship 
or the equilibrium and equanimity of the passengers. 

How we enjoyed the sniff of the sea air ! It was really 
delicious, and the pulse's maddening play truly once 
again, 

" Thrills through the wanderer of the trackless way." 

Our anticipations of a heavy and saddening account to 
settle with old Neptune did not banish our pleasurable 
hopes, and our enjoyment was not much marred with fears 
of the future. Really we did enjoy the prospect ahead. 

" My soul was full of longing 
For the secret of the sea, 
And the heart of the great ocean 
Sent a thrilling pulse through me." 

Truly for once we felt that we had found the philoso- 
pher's stone ; we had found a most precious beginning of 
what we were seeking for ; the hopes and fires of life 



16 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

"burned "brighter ; our bosom fairly glowed with a new joy, 
and to-day, on this 14th day of July, in the year of our- 
Lord, eighteen hundred and fifty-seven, we are breathing 
freer and better than at any time during the last three 
years. 

" Aye there is a fairer sky above us ; " 

the waste and wearisome hours and days, darkened with 
trying illness, have broken, and we have satisfying evidence 
that the buds and blossoms of health will as surely return to 
us with the continued smiles of Providence, as the blooming 
flowery spring returns after the bleak and icy winter. 

Though we may not learn the secrets of the chambers of 
the great deep, though we may not fathom its influences 
upon our weary frames and on our health, and though we 
may not consult its mermaid doctors in their bright coral 
mansions, that are so full of life and beauty, and an un- 
ceasing wonder deep down below, yet we can love and still 
wonder and sing praises of it. 

' Wouldst thou,' so the helmsman cried, 
Learn the secret of the sea 1 
Only those who brave its dangers 
Comprehend its mystery !' 

The comprehend iug the deep, perhaps is only for " old 
tars," not such landsmen as we are ; yet we can emphati- 
cally say, that that secret, whatever it may be, has caused 
our blood once more to bound in its coursing through, our 
veins, and our heart once more to leap with a flow of spirits 
such as it was wont to have in boyhood days, and to hope 
that, for a while at least, we have seen the last of doctor's 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 17 

pills and nostrums of all kinds, not to say the last of doc- 
tors. But this last we could not well say, for there are 
still on the earth some " kind physicians," as we know from 
ample experience of two, one at home and one in New- 
York, for whom we would ever hear grateful and cheerful 
testimony of their uniform urbanity, gentleness and ability, 
that will ever win the heart's affections, and soothe many a 
gloomy chamber, and calm and cheer and comfort the 
restlessness of weary sufferers in the pains of sickness and 
death. 

We have sped along over the deep, at a rapid rate, so 
far ; notwithstanding the ship's depth, and weight of coal, 
making 343, 319, 331, 329, 328, and this day 350 miles, 
says our log ; and this may be called steaming at a wonder- 
ful rate, indeed. 

The second, third, and fourth days out, we had some 
rolling sea, and it operated slightly and favorably upon us. 

On the third day out, about 5 o'clock, P. M., we passed 
Cape Race, the point, on this continent, where the ocean 
telegraph is to be secured, within about one mile of its bold 
and rock-bound headland ; and it was quite pleasing to see 
the dull, green coast, like an oasis in a great desert. The 
booming cannon from the land, answered by ours on board, 
acknowledged in proper salute the royal standard of Great 
Britain, as it waved at mast-head, and from flagstaff, on 
ship and on shore. 

It seemed almost as if we could step on shore, and it 
was an incident that pleasantly relieved the beginning 
monotony of a sea-voyage ; for make it inside of nine days, 
or in ninety days, it will, to a certain extent, be more or 
less monotonous, after the first novelty wears off. Th 



18 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

same rolling, restless, upheaving ocean, is ever before you : 



" The blue, the fresh, the ever free, 
Without a mark, without a bound ;" 

and though ten thousand sail float on its main, days come 
and go and not a shroud relieves the eye ; and scan it by 
the horizon, or only the length from how to stern-post, still 
it is but water — the wide, wide waste of water — the bil- 
lowy bosom of the ocean, wild or mild. And night brings 
no relief from it. The blue arch above, with its my- 
riad lanterns hung out to light our pathway, is beautifully 
reflected in the blue mirror of the deep, and you seem to be 
floating along, in an ocean of stars, instead of an ocean of 
waters ; for, as Mrs. Welby so charmingly expresses it — 

" Every wave, with dimpled face, 
That leap'd upon the air, 
Had caught a star in its embrace, 
And held it trembling there." 



In walking the deck, over three hundred feet, all clear, 
how exhilarating to the spirits and bracing to wearied nerves 
is the breath of the ocean ! It is laden with fragrance, and 
spiced with health, and we seem to live anew. And God 
grant that this may not be the temporary calm before 
the storm, but the forerunner of years of health and vigor. 
We will ask no greater boon from Him who rules the 
storm, — "who holds these waters in the hollow of his 
hand, and tempers the wind to the shorn lamb." 

So far, we have been blessed with the cheering sun by 
day, and the silvery moon by night. No fogs, no 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 19 

clouds. The doleful sound of the fog-bell, or the " minute 
gun at sea," disturbs us not. We are sailing on, and sail- 
ing on, with scarce a ripple on our stream. This is an 
uncommon voyage, even at this season of the year. We 
have not seen even the semblance of a fog. We plainly 
saw Sable Island : a bleak, sandy, island waste, some sixty 
miles long, by about eleven miles wide — a sight that but 
one of the officers of the ship had ever seen before, though 
they had passed, several times, within five or ten miles of it ; 
such is usually the intensity of the fog, in this latitude. 
And Cape Race had never before been seen so distinctly 
by any one on board, and not at all by two of the officers, 
though they had passed within three to ten miles of it, 
many times. 

We shall now make the " Northern Passage," doubling 
the northern part of " Erin's Green Isle of the Sea," and 
make Liverpool, via the North Channel. This will save 
us from four to six hours time, and if so, probably make 
this trip of our noble steamer the shortest, by some eight 
hours, ever before made. Should we do this, it will be an 
item worth talking about, and we all, American as well as 
British passengers, hope it may be done ; and to our hon- 
ored commander, Captain Judkins, and his hitherto unsur- 
passed steamer, be all the honors, with a bumper, and three 
times three ! 

How pleasant, of an evening, it is to watch the phospho- 
rescent lights, sparkling upon the crest of the waves, and 
the foam caused by the motion of the vessel, as she plows 
along. And it is an item of not a little curiosity ; it affords 
quite agreeable entertainment, and chit chat as well as 
speculation to while away many an hour. But we are too 
1* 



20 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

far north to see this phenomenon in its greatest brilliancy. 
It is said that a passage up the Mediterranean Sea reveals 
this phenomenon in all its sparkling variety and "beauty ; 
and it is described as astonishingly vivid and luminous, at 
times. It may also be best seen, when lashing storms stir 
up the surface into a crest of sparkling foam. 

"We are to go as high as 56 degrees of North latitude, 
and this would fearfully put one in mind of Dr. Kane's ex- 
plorations in the icy regions of the North Seas, if it were 
in any other season but this. The thought brings on al- 
most a shivering. 

"We have seen no ice-fields or icebergs, and shall not 
now, as to-day we have passed the region where we were 
likely to see any. "We had hoped to get at least a distant 
view of an iceberg — distance would lend enchantment to 
that view — but we shall not have that pleasure, if pleasure 
it can be, unless we see one on our return, which will not 
then be likely, as their bergships will then be out of season, 
i. e., out of fashion, for this year of grace. 

On Sunday the 12th instant, all on board, at the usual 
hour of Divine worship, were assembled in the main saloon, 
and service was read by the Captain, in accordance with 
the established forms of " the Church," and the regulations 
of the Naval Board of the British Admirality. We all quite 
heartily participated in the reading of the prayers and res- 
ponses for the " Royal Sovereign, Victoria," the Queen, 
and Royal family, as if she had been our sovereign indeed. 
The assembled congregation were solemn and dignified — the 
reading of the prayers, and a sermon, most excellent. It 
was a most agreeable sight, indeed, to see the ship's crew — 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 21 

the old " sea dogs" — walk in in such perfect order, with 
their clean linen trousers, wide blue turned-down shirt 
collars, and bright tarpaulins with broad black streaming 
ribbons, in hand, held by their side. Every man was in 
his place, order being perfect everywhere. 

This was the first time we had ever participated in the 
Church of England service, in this peculiar form, and as 
we invoked the form of blessing we felt quite loyal sub- 
jects, pro tempore, to Her Majesty ; for, though she be a 
woman, on an earthly throne, and wielding the powers of 
the head of government which we only acknowledge 
within the prerogative and capacity of man, she is a 
woman respected and honored throughout the civilized 
world, and is, by far, the most honored and exalted sover- 
eign in Europe, and rules a free and liberty-loving people, 
in every sense of the word. Though she be a royal per- 
sonage, in the vocabulary of kings, queens, emperors, and 
royalty, she rules over no slaves ; nor in her vast dominions, 
on which the sun now never sets, lawfully clank the chains 
of the slave gang, nor is heard the plantation driver's lash. 

In the pleasantry of conversation or discussion, it is very 
humiliating, indeed, to have it thrown into our teeth, that 
our " Free and Independent States," forsooth the only (?) 
real foothold of liberty and true republicanism on earth, 
are cursed with slavery of the direst form, tolerated- and 
countenanced by law, and protected and defended by 
it, against all reason, justice, or equity. We could not 
defend our country, in this respect, as we desired to, and 
could but confess that it was a system of unmitigated 
shame, cruelty, and barbarism, unworthy the age ; despi- 



22 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

cable, beyond defence or justification, in the abstract, and 
unworthy, indeed, the feeblest defence. We found that if 
we do not realize our position at home, we certainly do 
when we go abroad. Yes, Columbia ! " Dear land of 
liberty !" the only republican, or, if you please, democratic 
government in the world, we confess it brings to our cheek 
a tingle of burning shame, when allusion is made to that 
black stain disfiguring the face of thy fair land below the 
too well known Mason and Dixon's Line. And how can 
we, at this day and age of the world, excuse or justify 
American slavery, though it were formerly a colonial legacy 
from our British forefathers ? "We cannot ; and it is a 
shame and disgrace that it still remains. "When that line 
of demarcation is wiped out — when every slave is un- 
shackled and permitted to go free — then there will be 
no spots upon the sun of our meridian ; our flag will, in- 
deed and in truth, be a shield and defence to the brave 
and the free, and- everywhere our loved land will be known 
and acknowledged as an asylum and home for the op- 
pressed of all nations — a land of liberty — a " home of the 
free," in every sense of the word. No great reproach will 
remain against any portion of our country, people, or 
government ; but we shall be more united at home, and 
more honored and respected abroad. 

"We have traveled, you know, by steamboat, rail-car, 
plodding stage-coach, monotonous canal packet, and in 
every conceivable way, and even some on our own two 
feet, but never with more real enjoyment and easy com- 
fort than on this occasion; more particularly since the 
roll of the ship has ceased to produce sea-sickness, and we 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 23 

can stand and walk with safety and pleasure upon the 
deck. Deriving the benefit we have, how much more agree- 
able, far more agreeable, thus to write, than full of tire- 
some complaints of distress by sickness, and continued en- 
croaching disease, slowly, but surely, eating out constitu- 
tion, temper, and every genial faculty of the heart and 
soul. 

"We cannot but note how nobly the ship holds her course 
and how proudly she lifts her bows and cuts the waves, 
riding triumphantly over the long swells, like a thing of 
life. 

To enliven us, and make the hours fly faster, we have 
an excellent band of music on board, discoursing, every 
evening, voluptuous sounds ; always infusing new life and 
spirit into all, and usually ending with the national airs 
G-od Save the Queen, Rule Britannia, Hail Columbia, 
Yankee Doodle, and, occasionally, the soul-stirring Marseil- 
laise. The "light fantastic toe" also catches the merry 
sound, and keeps time to the music, by lightly skipping 
o'er the deck. Those -we barely note, as " extras " by the 
wayside. 

We are already beginning tq have longings for the sight 
of terra firma once more, and it will be good for our eyes 
when we behold it, and somewhat better for our appetites 
when we plant our feet upon it — on the rock-bound shores 
of our ", old mother England," who has always been pre- 
sented to our thought as a staid, immovable, and noble 
matron, happy in the love and admiration of her own 
children, and commanding the respect of all, whether friend 
or foe. 



24 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

But we shall soon behold her, and until then 

" Our way is on the bright blue sea, 
Our sleep upon its rocking tide, 
And many an eye has followed us, 

Where billows clasp the worn sea side." 

To you, and all the dear ones, as well as friends includ- 
ed in the last two lines above, we send, greeting, the love 
of our hearts ; and wishing you all the good wishes possi- 
ble, we wish you now, most especially, the same pros- 
perous and favorable voyage through life, that we are now 
enjoying upon the briny sea. 



LETTER No. II. 

At sea, latitude 56° North, on board Royal Mail 
Steamer Persia, July 16th, 1857. 
Dear Father M***** : 

We "begin to feel and realize that we are indeed up in 
the world, being nearly fifteen degrees of latitude, due 
North, from where you are, and can easily imagine that 
from our altitude we can look down upon the " rest of 
mankind," and, as if on a wide plateau below us, taking 
such a survey as you landsmen never dream of ; yet, when 
we look out, the utmost of our vision from the deck of the 
ship will not extend more than from fifteen to sixteen 
miles, and from the level of the sea only about seven miles. 
Then we feel hedged in — narrowed down to, and enclosed 
within, a small compass, and our extended and far-reach- 
ing vision in imagination, dwindles into comparative insig- 
nificance. From the loopholes of our retreat, we can look 
out, but our eyes return with the constantly recurring 
thought, that though 

" All the world's a stage, 
And all the men and women merely players," 

as Shakspeare wrote, and, doubtless, believed 

" The world's a stormy sea, 
Whose every breath is strewed with wrecks of wretches, 
That daily perish in it." 



26 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

In our boyhood days our old dog-eared geography taught 
us, with the aid of Birch, the school-master, that "the 
world is round like an apple," and when we are at sea 
how fully and clearly we realize and comprehend this sim« 
pie truth ! AVe seem to he constantly going round and 
round, on an increasing, and then decreasing scale, de- 
scribing the segments of a circle, 

We have not yet seen the mountain waves, though 
we are plowing through an immense rolling sea that rocks 
us not unlike an easy cradle. The swells seem to be from 
land north-east towards the south and south-west; and when 
the wind blows, of which we have had a few gentle puffs this 
morning, fresh from the chambers of the north, it lashes 
the crests of the waves into an ocean of foam that is as 
white as the pure driven snow ; and yet the great upper 
current of the ocean here flows to the north-east, while there 
is a great under current flowing to the south-west, ming- 
ling with, if not forming, the great Gulf Stream current on 
our whole Atlantic coast. This is regarded araons: nauti- 
cal men, we understand, as quite a phenomenon. 

The wheels of our steamer make suds, indeed, of the 
briny deep, as we move so triumphantly along ; and as they 
revolve on their immense shafts they cast behind them al- 
most like lightning bolts, the whistling, seething, and ed- 
dying, foam, and it sparkles, hisses, and flies away again, 
and mingles and vanishes in its native blue. Truly 
it is a magnificent sight to behold this wonderful rapidity 
of motion, annihilating space, and this boiling, whirling, 
eddying, lashing water, foaming as if enraged that it has 
been so suddenly disturbed by this Fulton Grenius, bounding 
o'er it like a thing of life ! 



JJOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 27 

And truly what a sea monster is this ! "What an evidence 
of the divinity that dwells in man, and with genius en- 
dows the human mind ! How surpassingly great, indeed, 
was that intellect that first conceived the idea, and cunning- 
ly contrived the application, of the power of steam, to navi- 
gate, without regard to wind or tide, these wondrous 
seas ! 

The marine engine of our present ocean-going steamers 
is the perfection of inventive genius and mechanism. The 
fact that for so many successive days these ponderous arms, 
pistons, levers, valves, conductors, pumps, &c, &c, can 
he kept invariahly and unceasingly in their place, and work 
without the slightest accidental variation, though rolled 
and tossed ahout "by wind and howling storm, is altogether 
wonderful, and shows the power of the mind of man over 
matter. And then again the realization of the fact that in 
the vessel's centre are forty furnaces (and on this ship 
there are just this numher, ten on each side of the vessel, 
fore and aft of the engine,) constantly red with heat, 
for ten or more successive days and nights, shows the 
perfection of the construction of the machinery, the 
engine, compartments, and flues, the complete triumph 
of the genius of man over the elements of nature, and his 
power perfectly to control and govern these particular ele- 
ments of which men stand most in fear, fire and water. 

Taking a survey of our fellow-passengers affords us con- 
siderable amusement. We have Britons, Americans, 
Frenchmen, Old Castilians, Swiss, Cubans, Germans, 
Scots, Mexicans, Hibernians, Italians, Africans, and last, 
though by no means the least consequential and important. 



28 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

Virginians, even one of the F. F. V's, which initials, we 
have heen told, signify First Families of Virginia. We 
hear the languages of almost all nations, and, throughout 
the voyage so far, no sound of discord. From morning 
gray to evening tide, gentleness, unanimity and good fel- 
lowship prevail on every side, and a genial flow of spirits 
sympathetically unites, for the time heing, the representa- 
tives of many nations into a sociable and amiable family. 
The arrangements and comforts of the ship are unexcelled, 
and the wants of all, and particularly the inner man, are 
provided for most sumptuously every day. 

We are now, indeed, afloat on the broad expanse of the 
deep, and we quite enjoy it, and can fully realize the senti- 
ment of the poet when he says, 

" The sun came up upon our left, 
Out of the sea came he ; 
And he shone bright, and on our right 
Went down into the sea." 

To-morrow morning's deck walk will, we hope, reveal to 
us the head-lands of Ireland, that land of song, — the 
land of "sweet dhreams" to many in all parts of the 
* world — the land where neither snakes nor the Grallic lux- 
ury, frogs, are found. And, as we have seen quite enough 
of the "broad expanse," we are all looking forward to the 
moment when we shall catch the first sight of it, as it will 
be one of unfeigned and real pleasure, and fill our hearts 
with emotions of gratitude that so far we shall have been 
brought in safety, and that we are in such near proximity 
to the haven we are bound to. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 29 

Our first glimpse will be of Tony Island, a small island 
near the most north-western head-land of Ireland, then 
the mainland and Malin Head, and thence as near the shore- 
as safety will permit, till we enter the North Channel, 
passing, and, in the far distance, seeing, the famous Giant's 
Causeway, Belfast Lough, Fair Head and Donaghadee, 
rounding the rocky and hilly Isle of Man, through the 
Irish Sea, to our destination, Liverpool, in the Mersey. 

On this route we shall get distant glimpses of some of 
old Scotia's shores, and some of her lofty hills ; though Glen 
Fuin, Glen Luce, Loch Lomond, Ben Lomond, and the 
Alpine Heights, may not greet our vision, nor yet those 
old " Grampian hills," on which "my father fed his flocks," 
we do hope to see the distant blue of some of the Highlands, 
if not of those Scott-honored places and the evergreen pines 
that crown them, which are renowned both in prose and 
song. 

We are now more than half seas over, i. e. we mean, 
nearly over the sea, and our heart really gushes out with 
joy at the fruition of our childhood's and manhood's desire of 
some day seeing the soil of that "merry old England" of 
our fathers' fathers, and so cheerfully and delightfully de- 
scribed by our still dear old friend, Peter Parley, and others. 
This ancient land — the old soil from whence our fathers 
came, the same England immortalized as well as embalmed 
in song and prose of her thousand poets and historians, and 
which the sweet Cowper, with all her faults, could not 
help loving, — by the continued smiles of that kind Provi- 
dence that so far has watched over and protected us, we shall 
soon behold. "We shall indeed soon see— 



30 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

" The stately homes of England, 

How beautiful they stand ! 
Amidst their tall, ancestral trees, 

O'er all the pleasant land ! 
The deer, across the greensward bound, 

Through shade and sunny gleam, 
And the swan glides past them with the sound 

Of some rejoicing stream. 

" The merry homes of England ! 

Around their hearths by night, 
What gladsome looks of household love 

Meet in the ruddy light ! 
How woman's voice flows forth in song, 

Or childhood's tale is told, 
Or lips move tunefully along 

Some glorious page of old ! 

" The blessed homes of England ! 

How softly on their bowers 
Is laid the holy quietness 

That breathes from Sabbath hours ! 
Solemn, yet sweet, the church bells' chime 

Floats through their woods at morn, 
All other sounds, in that still time, 

Of breeze and leaf are born." 

This proud and highly- favored old land, the common 
mother, whom we all cheerfully (and may we not say 
proudly ?) acknowledge as the progenitor of all the true lib- 
erty-loving civilization of the world, we cannot but respect, 
not to say revere. She who, out of the rudest Druidical cruel- 
ties and barbarisms, has, in the process of years, generated 
the loveliest of characters that have adorned the race of 
man and made for themselves renown in the world — the 
noble land of a pure Christianity — of noble chieftains, 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 31 

eminent statesmen, earnest divines, and renowned warriors, 
and of many good as well as tyrant kings and cruel 
queens — of lordly halls, splendid palaces, lofty cathedrals — 
of the gentle flowing Ashton, Avon, Tay, and Thames — 
the land that gave "birth to and is' made glorious by Newton, 
Shakspeare, Bacon, Locke, "VVilber force, and a galaxy of 
bright and equally sparkling stars, whose names illumine 
every page of her brilliant literature, and whose number is 
truly a host — this land— where liberty is not unmeaning 
cant, a by- word and a reproach, but where freedom is the 
proud boast of all, in hut and palace, in Parliament 
and out of Parliament, enjoyed alike by peasant as by 
prince and sovereign — next will burst upon our view. 
And we will greet her, and we desire to do obeisance to 
her. "We cannot sing, "Rule Britannia," nor "John 
Anderson, my jo, John," knowing but one song, and that 
imperfectly — " Yankee Doodle" — or we would burst forth 
in a song of greeting. Neither have we a trumpet, where- 
with to blow a joyful bugle blast in honor of Albion's 
shore ; but with our feeble voice and heart we will greet it. 
We expect to pass Torry Island about nine o'clock this 
evening, and by daylight to-morrow morning round the 
Ptathlin Island, and be steaming down the North Channel, 
and across the Irish Sea, to our destined port, which we 
hope to reach by one o'clock, P. M. From Liverpool, we 
shall give you such particulars of its world-wide commerce, 
its renowned docks, its business, quaintness, and popula- 
tion, et cetera, as compared with our Yankee cities, as op- 
portunity will permit. Our ideas of Liverpool are not an- 
cient but modern. It is undoubtedly justly celebrated for 
its high commercial importance and standing, as it cer- 



32 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 

tainly stands unrivaled in some respects either in the Old 
or New "World. 

But now, as we are gliding along so nicely, all we can 
think of is 

u A wet sheet and a flowing sea, 

A wind that follows fast, 
And fills the white and rustling sail, 

And bends the gallant mast ;" 

and this, with a full head of steam to push us along, like 
a skimming curlew, over the ever-rolling deep, is excite- 
ment enough, with the anticipated views before us, to keep 
our thoughts too busy to concentrate them on paper. 

Indeed we rejoice now in the wind, and how delightful 
it has become 

" When the glad waves foam around 
And the wind blows fair and free." 

It is no longer a matter of anxiety to us if the waves are 
mountain high, or if 

" A thousand miles from land are we, 
Tossing about on the roaring sea ; 
From billow to bounding billow cast, 
Like fleecy snow, in the stormy blast." 

Though we are longing for terra firma, yet we feel that 
this 

" Up and down, up and down, 
From the base of the wave to the billow's crown," 

is just the sensation that is not one of the worst of all dis- 
agreeables, particularly after we get used to it. But, per- 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 33 

haps, we are braver sailors the nearer we approach the 
haven of our hopes and the land upon which we are to 
tread. 

The Persia does not run so fast, it is said, as she did before 
she was last taken into the dry dock, and refitted. We 
learn from one of the officers she has had not far from four 
hundred tons added to her weight, and, of course, this must 
make some difference in her speed, and perhaps more 
than has been anticipated, or allowed for, in her outward 
voyages. This present passage will, we think, be made, 
from bar to bar, outside Sandy Hook, New- York, and to 
the mouth of the Mersey, Liverpool, in nine days. When 
we left, it was believed that we would perform the voyage 
in nearer eight than nine days. But nine days will do, 
and, for ourselves, we much question whether successful 
voyages across the Atlantic ever can be made in much, if 
any, less time. That, however, is a question yet to be de- 
termined. If the ratio of speed by steam power progresses 
with improvements for the next fifteen years in proportion 
as it has for the last thirty years, who can approximate, 
even, what it will not do ? Time, of course, will not be 
annihilated by its progression, but space will literally be, 
and to a degree now not even dreamed of. We can but 
believe that this wonderful problem is not more than half 
solved, and that the future is still full of great things, in 
connection with improvements in the use of steam-power. 

This afternoon the cry of "A whale ! a whale !" aroused 
all on board almost as much and quickly as if the cry had 
been " Fire ! fire !" and all rushed to the sides of the ship in 
hot haste to catch a glimpse of his majesty, who was spout- 
ing away, as quietly as could be, about a half mile to star- 



34 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

board. Sure enough there he was, spouting and sporting 
himself like Leviathan of the deep, without let or hindrance, 
his head appearing now and then partly above water as he 
made his dips ; but when he found out our proximity, and 
that we could spout and flounder too as well as make some 
small thunder that he could not make, he very quietly 
withdrew to deeper sailing, without so much as a" good 
evening " to us. About nine o'clock, by the twilight, we 
thought we could see the coast of the Green Isle of the Sea, 
and half an hour later the fine light on Torry Island, faint- 
ly as a star above us, glimmered in the distance. This was 
a most agreeable night-cap to us, and we turned into our 
narrow couches in our state-room, with sweet contentment 
and bright anticipations of the morrow's light. 

11th July. — This morning's earliest dawn found us on 
the upper deck, the ship running quite close in shore ; Ire- 
land on our right and Scotland on our left, opposite Dona- 
ghadee. And sure enough there was that same " ould coun- 
thry " " away over the wather " with its dim green shores 
and white cottages, plainly to be seen, and which our long- 
ing eyes had so much wished to see, and of which we have 
heard and read so much. Our noble steamer was plowing 
the water at fifteen knots per hour, all sail clewed up. 
"We had passed the famous Griants' Causeway and Belfast 
Lough a few miles to the right of us. The frequent lights 
still burning were evidence of the care and attention of the 
G-overnment to afford every protection possible to all mari- 
ners navigating her seas and about her shores. 

About eleven o'clock A. M. we passed the Isle of Man, 
with its high, bold, rocky, and partially sterile surface, dot- 
ted here and there with farms and neat white-looking farm- 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 35 

houses and hamlets. In its little havens and sheltering 
places were anchored an immense number of fishing smacks, 
and the small coal traders, that don't carry coals to New- 
castle, but almost everywhere else. A little after one 
o'clock, P. M., we found ourselves at anchor off the outer 
bar of the Mersey, waiting for high tide, making our pas- 
sage, hy the ship's time, from New- York to the Bar, al- 
lowing for latitude, in exactly nine days and thirty min- 
utes — the. shortest passage ever made over the Atlantic, 
notwithstanding the weight added to the vessel as before 
mentioned, and which it was so much feared would, and 
probably does in some degree, retard her speed. 

While waiting here for high tide the steamer " Erics- 
son," that left New- York on the 4th, four days before us, 
steamed up the bay and anchored by our side. At four 
o'clock, P. M., the water being high enough, with a burly 
pilot on the " bridge," we steamed up the river, and an- 
chored in the stream. Before our vision was Liverpool, 
with her forests of shipping, her unequaled docks, her im- 
mense store-houses, (which must form part of the subject 
matter of our next letter,) and we were land-locked and 
within the embrace of the arms of old England. But we 
could scarcely realize that we were on British soil, in the 
merry England of our early dreams. It did not seem possible 
that we had reached its shores in nine days, traversing 
three thousand miles of ocean — that we were in eleven 
traveling days, by rail and steamer, over four thousand 
miles from our loved ones at home. It was * more like a 
dream, a pleasant dream indeed, than reality. But it was 
even so. 

Her Majesty Victoria's officers of customs were speedily 

2 



36 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

on board, and all our luggage having been examined as soon 
and as hurriedly as possible, and withal in a quiet and very 
gentlemanly way, after the rather informal examination 
we were transferred to a lighter, and at half past eight 
o'clock the same evening found ourselves at the Feathers 
hotel, Clayton Square, very comfortably off for rooms, with 
all the English quietness of a cosy country house. Here 
we settled down for our stay in Liverpool, right glad, indeed, 
of our comforts and the attentions of our neat, white- cap- 
ped servants, who were attentive with the utmost civility 
to every want, and we felt thankful at being again on shore 
in safety, and in comparatively better health than we could 
possibly have hoped for so soon. 

As we proceeded to our dock we caught a slight view of 
the " stars and stripes," the flag of our country, from the 
mast of the U. S. Frigate Niagara, lying about a half mile 
from the Persia's anchorage, and now engaged in taking in 
her part of the Atlantic Telegraphic Cable, of which,- 
we understand, she has already coiled on board some nine 
hundred miles. We hope to visit her on the 20th, and after 
that to have some more particulars that may be of interest 
to you and all. 

Near by we also noted the beautiful yacht of Prince 
Napoleon, late of our army, who is on a pleasure tour, and 
making complimentary visits to this and some of the other 
important sea-ports of her Majesty. 

But for the present we must say adios. 



LETTER No. III. 

Liverpool, England, July 20th, 1857. 
Dear Friends C. and H : 

Our approach to, and sight of, the shores of England, 
and our entrance into this wonderful port, were with min- 
gled feelings of surprise and admiration. 

The " First flower of the earth and first gem of the sea," 
afforded us refined pleasure and enjoyment ; but of the 
country at large we shall speak more particularly here- 
after. 

The first sight of the great and magnificently capacious 
docks, all constructed of solid masonry, the forests of ship- 
ping, and the location, is rather pleasing than otherwise. 
The entrance to the city does not frown with bristling 
cannon and formidable batteries and forts, and for a won* 
der, it would seem, has but one small and certainly inferior 
looking fort, to protect it in case of a hostile fleet appearing 
before it ; and to all appearance that is not deserving the 
name of a fort and could not be of particular service in 
case of an attack. However, such is the natural location 
of the city, that the approach of a hostile fleet that might 
possibly threaten it with danger, would be heralded soon 
enough for such formidable obstructions to be sunk in the 
narrow channel at the mouth of the Mersey, that would 
keep out all intruders in that direction. Besides, the 



38 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. « 

" wooden walls " of England's navy, ever on the alert, are 
another barrier that might be rather formidable and diffi- 
cult to pass in any emergency. 

The city and its docks are about eight miles from the 
outer bar, which can only be crossed by large vessels, with 
any degree of safety, at high tide. . As our noble steamer 
rapidly plowed her way up the stream to her anchorage, 
we passed our own noble and splendid steam frigate, 
Niagara, with her flag gaily flaunting in the breeze, (though 
we did not see her till we were on the lighter, being so 
intent on the other sights before us,) engaged, as we wrote 
last, in her great mission as a pacificator ', coiling on board 
the iron wire that is to be a new and still more powerful link 
in the great chain of events to bind our nations more firm- 
ly together than ever before. This monster " Yankee 
ship " of ours, acknowledged here to be the finest war ves- 
sel afloat, is attracting a large share of public attention, 
and her officials are both feasting and being feasted. She sits 
on the water like a duck, and her beautiful model hull, taper- 
ing masts, and rig, are unecrualed specimens of naval archi- 
tecture. Her machinery, finish of cabins, officer's mess- 
rooms, and general accommodations, are each perfect in 
their way and construction, and much admired by all 
who see them. 

After having our baggage passed by the customs, as 
before written, we were transferred to a small lighter, and 
by it reached the dock and shore. And now we stood upon 
the soil of our forefathers — our old Pilgrim forefathers — 
upon the soil of boasted England, and we involuntarily 
bowed our heads in humble gratitude and acknowledg- 
ment to G-od that we were thus permitted to do so. 

On reaching the shore we found that our baggage had 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 39 

preceded us to the "Waterloo Hotel, where we intended 
stopping, and where Americans most do congregate ; but 
there we found we could not get rooms. Thence we went 
to the Adelphi, the royal and first hotel of Liverpool — but 
not to be compared with the Tremont at Chicago — and 
that we found overflowing and swarming. From this we 
proceeded to the Queens, and found there was no chance 
there — that was full ; and we were about to go to a private 
boarding-house, on the recommendation of a friend, when 
another friend kindly came to us, and informed us we could 
get good rooms at the Feathers hotel : " But," said he, 
" if you cannot, just come round the corner to the Stork, 
(another hotel,) and he was sure we could get in there." 
The singular (to us) names of the hotels made us good-na- 
tured, not to say anything of the prospect of an immediate 
resting-place. We secured very comfortable quarters at 
the Feathers, and at once made ourselves at home, having 
good rooms and beds, and our meals, as is usual at the 
English hotels, in our own room ; there being no table 
d'hote, as is customary with us. The races of the week 
had filled the hotels with people from far and near, and 
accounted for our trouble in finding rooms. . These sports 
of the field are highly enjoyed by the English people, who 
always enter into them with great delight and animation. 
The week had been a holiday one for all classes, and the 
population of the country, as well as city, had visited the 
scenes almost en masse. We did not have the opportunity 
of seeing any of the " blooded nags," as the day of our ar- 
rival was the last day of the week's sport. 

Liverpool was named, it has been stated, from a bird 
known as a " liver," which formerly bred in this location 



40 XOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

(then called a ;; pool.") in vast quantities, as do the com- 
mon wood-pigeons in some sections of our country : hence 
the place was named, and still is called. Liverpool. We 
note, however, that ornithology, or natural history, to the 
best of our recollection, does not mention any such bird 
either in the Old or New World. 

The general appearance of the city is not. on the whole, 
unsatisfactory, though it is too ding}'. The population 
now is not far from a half million of souls. In traversing 
the streets, we first noticed, more particularly than any- 
thing else, the complexion, dress, and general appearance 
of the people — the masses that throng the streets, particu- 
larly of a Saturday night : and the want of that alwavs 
praised, and so oft and repeatedly spoken of. English rud- 
diness of complexion, was particularly remarkable. AYhere 
was it ? We looked in vain to see it here, and certainly 
it was not to be seen in the streets and promenades of 
overworked Liverpool. The p- far as we have 

seen them in nearly three days perambulations of the c 
have not more ruddy, healthy or rosy countenances, than 
the people of New-York. This, we think, is a plain and 
palpable fact. 

The streets of the city are both regular and irregular, 
some quite narrow, though, comparatively speaking, new- 
ly built. There are some spacious, airy, and tolerably 
elegant ones, though not so much so as we expected to see 
in such a rich and modern built city : the greater part of it 
having been built, or greatly improved, within the memory 
of the oldest inhabita. 

And how soon we noticed the multitude of drinking 
establishments here ! It is not exaggerating to say, that 






NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 



41 



almost every other building or shop, certainly every corner 
of street and alley, in the older or lower part of the city, as 
well as the central, is a " wine and spirit store ;'' and in a 
two hours walk through a large number of the common 
streets and alleys, we witnessed more drunkenness and 
downright misery than we ever saw in traversing New- 
York a whole week. This we thought quite remarkable, 
and to be attributed only to strong drink, because " beer " 
does not (it is said) often intoxicate a people, and certain- 
ly not the multitude. Never before had we seen in such a 
short walk three wretched mothers imploring — with tears 
in their eyes, poverty the most abject in their countenances, 
and babes in their arms — miserable, reeling, drunken fathers 
and husbands to " go home, and save their money for 
bread!*' "We quite bled at heart, and really thought that 
Neal Dow, and his Maine Liquor Law, were needed 
here if anywhere, and were glad to hear he was even 
expected. But moral suasion never has and never can 
reach this class of men, and, probably, only the strong arm 
of the law will. But, then, will liberty-loving John Bull 
submit to such a law ? Would not Magna Charta be in- 
fringed upon ? King John and Runny meade would an- 
swer that, would they not ? 

The public buildings of the city are an especial honor to 
her. Those six miles in length of docks are of unparal- 
leled capacity, stretching along on both sides of the river 
now, and enclose, in perfect safety, against both wind and 
tide, the largest monarch of the sea, as securely as one of 
our canal locks does an ordinary canal-boat. No wind or 
storm can possibly affect them. Indeed, they seem as 
well secured as if each vessel were really walled in ; an 



42 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

they are literally enclosed in masonic chambers of docks 
if we may use the expression. The massiveness of these 
stone walls are an honor to all England as well as Liver- 
pool ; for no such docks are anywhere else to be seen. 
Their solidity and massiveness, as well as capacity, are well 
worthy of imitation by New- York, and it is to be hoped 
the day is not far distant when that city will have such ; 
for she much needs them. The facilities they afford for 
commercial enterprise are incalculable, compared with any 
docks we have, and are invaluable. 

It is said it would be difficult to name a frequented or 
known, port, in any part of the world, that one cannot take 
a passage to from this place, and without much, if any, 
delay. Her ships and commerce truly visit the very ut- 
termost parts of the sea, even the ends of the earth, and 
all nations pay and bring some tribute to her treasury. 
Liverpool is, indeed, a merchant for the whole world. 
Earth, air, and sea bring hither of their richest goods, al- 
most an unbroken stream. 

The great warehouses of the city are almost on as grand 
a scale as the clocks, and are constantly filled with untold 
millions of wealth. Cotton and corn and wine, in bale, 
bag and cask, are piled up here in mountainous bulk. 
The varied products of every clime lie around you in pro- 
fusion. The commerce and exchange here, with all the 
earth, are indeed, vast, and counted only by hundreds of 
millions, and millions upon millions, giving constant em- 
ployment to a large population of industrious citizens, and 
the wealth of numbers of the greatest capitalists of both 
hemispheres. 

The Exchange is a fine quadrangular building, having a 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 43 

colonnade inside the court, with a tesselated pavement of 
marble, diamond shaped, gently sloping to the sides, to 
carry off the water both from the peristyle and the court. 
In the centre of the court is a very beautiful monu- 
ment to the immortal Nelson, with very fine bas-relief 
figures and sculpture on each of the four sides of the 
base, which no one should pass through Liverpool without 
seeing. 

The Post Office is an old and massive building, the cen- 
tre supported by immense Ionic columns, but it stands on 
too low ground to show to good advantage. The Sea- 
man's Home, near by, is a modern building, somewhat 
Elizabethian in style, of considerable size, and tasteful 
in all its parts. There are numerous churches of all de- 
nominations, but nearly all old and dingy, and present- 
ing nothing in architectural design that strikes the eye as 
particularly impressive. 

St. George's Hall we noticed as a very magnificent 
structure indeed, and it may be called beautiful in all its 
parts, in design, perspective and proportion. We found 
ourselves surveying this truly majestic Hall with ad- 
miration, if not love and surprise. It is the just pride of 
the citizens of the Borough, who take pleasure in pointing 
out to the stranger its lofty proportions — but without osten- 
tation, which might be excused, indeed, since it is one of 
the finest edifices in England. So far as we could judge from 
our cursory view, we gave it the palm of all buildings we had 
ever seen in the United States or Mexico, except the new 
Capitol at Washington. The State House at Nashville, 
Tennessee, for real beauty of architecture, comes nearest to 
it, except as above ; but it does not compare in size and 

2* 



44 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

detail of composition. The great organ in the Hall is un- 
equaled in size and unexcelled in sweetness of tone ; and 
to gratify the public, concerts are given upon it twice in 
each week. The Hall is daily open to visitors, and its ca- 
pacity for an audience is immense, being one hundred and 
sixty-nine feet long, seventy-seven feet wide, and, from 
floor to the top of the arched ceiling, eighty-two feet high. 
There are also two law court-rooms, whose dimensions, 
each, are eighty-five feet by fifty, and forty-five feet high. 
These, with the ante-rooms, vaults, library-rooms, com- 
mittee-rooms, offices, &c, all in proportion, will give 
you some idea of its great size. The whole is vast and 
magnificent in the extreme, because it is simple in all its 
grandeur and beautiful details. The frieze and entabla- 
tures are admirable, and there are, at each end of the 
portico or colonnade, some noble sculptured lions. There 
are also two on either side of the principal gateway or en- 
trance, that do honor to the sculptor, whose name we did 
not learn. 

Immediately opposite this is the depot of the London 
and North-Western Railway, a large and tolerably fine 
structure of brick, iron and glass. The front towers up 
like a noble palace, and displays its architectural propor- 
tions to great advantage. The building, however, we did 
not think as capacious as the Illinois Central Rail Road 
Company's depot, at Chicago. 

The Town Hall, public baths, charitable schools, and 
workhouses, and many other buildings, are worthy of note, 
but we have not time to describe them. 

The Zoological Gardens here are not one of the Seven 
Wonders of the present world, (perhaps they might be un- 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 45 

der Barnum'scare,) and, judging from what we saw there, 
are a place of recreation for the working class alone, 
though the charge for entrance is sufficient to warrant the 
supposition that it is a place of entertainment for all classes, 
and where one can get one's money's worth. An ordinary 
brass hand discourses music every afternoon, at three 
o'clock, and considerable numbers of the visitors join in the 
mystic mazes of the light fantastic toe, on a circular plat- 
form, erected near the centre of the grounds for that pur- 
pose. There are a few animals in the garden, of which the 
mischievous monkeys afford the principal amusement to 
the people visiting. 

The mechanical work of the city is enormous. Iron 
ship-building is carried on to a great extent and perfec- 
tion. The anvil and hammer are constantly ringing out 
hideous sounds upon the air, and a thousand furnaces 
glow with melting heat. A large number of ships, steam- 
ers, ocean and river, lighters, tugs, &c, are constantly on 
the ways, and in course of construction. There are also 
here about three thousand persons engaged in the manu- 
facture of watches of every description now in use. Be- 
sides these, there are numerous other manufacturing es- 
tablishments of different kinds, giving employment to many 
thousands of people of both sexes. 

This city is also a great entrepot for Ireland, the collier- 
ing and mining interests of Wales, and the immense 
manufacturing inland towns of most of the kingdom, es- 
pecially the city of Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, 
Sheffield, &c, &c, whose wealth and trade are almost 
fabulous in amount. And here, too, the great proportion 
of the cotton of our country finds its mart, as well as the 



4G NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

surplus grain and flour, and other needed manufactured 
produce of our States and the Canadas, as well as the sur- 
plus of the old world. 

The suburbs of Liverpool are handsome, and many beau- 
tiful residences may be seen on both sides of the river ; 
the principal ones are on the east side. Toxteth Park is 
very fine, and second to none in the realm. It is most 
charmingly laid out, and its grounds and noble trees are 
beautiful beyond description. 

The health of the city, of late years, has not been con- 
sidered so good as formerly. It has been stated, by Lord 
Ebrington, that the mortality of Liverpool, before the 
Public Health Act, was double in proportion to that of any 
other country town (meaning out of London) in England ; 
and that, though since the passage and enforcement of the 
provisions of that Act, the ratio of mortality has evidently 
decreased, and the sanitary condition of the people largely 
improved, and is still improving, according to the latest 
returns of the bills of mortality, yet there is great room 
for further improvement. "We should say, less strong drink 
and more cleanliness would greatly aid such improvement. 

The city is growing quite rapidly, though we do not see 
the numbers of buildings going up, in every direction, 
that we do either in New- York or Chicago. The pro- 
gress of the place is unmistakably great, and its popu- 
lation and business are daily increasing at as rapid a rate as 
any city in Europe, if not faster, so that it may be truly 
said to be in a hopeful condition. And now, while ship- 
ping and commercial business is so dull on our side of the 
water, and, it is said, large numbers of ships are disman- 
tled and lying idle at our wharves, the shipping here seems 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 47 

to be fully employed, or at least nearly so, and it soon will 
be fully, as vessels are now in demand for transport service 
to India and China, on Government account. 

The principal streets are tolerably clean and smoothly 
paved, but the narrow streets, courts, and alleys, are quite 
as filthy as is usual in our larger cities. The population 
is composed of large numbers of foreigners, and almost 
every tongue may be heard. Sailors may be seen in 
swarms from every clime. 

"We should not a think Liverpool a desirable place of 
residence. The principal merchants and business men 
live out of town, or in the suburbs, parts of which 
are very beautiful. The society is said to be con- 
siderably Americanized, and the city more of an Ameri- 
can city than any other in Europe. But be this as it may, 
we do not know of a city of importance in America in 
which it would not be more agreeable to live. As to the 
city's improving as fast as New- York, as we have heard 
more than once asserted, our impression is, that .there are 
now at least twenty buildings going up in New- York to one 
in Liverpool, the cost and beauty, in proportion, in favor of 
New- York ; and we believe it true, so far as we could see and 
judge in our perambulations, that this proportion is likely to 
remain so for a long time to come. In saying this, we would 
not disparage the advantages of either, and it is hoped none 
of you will think, for a moment, that the comparisons are 
odious ; for both cities are very great in their way, moving 
in their own orbits, .and exercising their peculiar functions, 
so to speak, on each continent. The business of both is 
intimately connected. Reverses in either city are felt 
equally in each, and prosperity in one, in our opinion, is 



48 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

prosperity in the other. Liverpool is to Great Britain, 
not to say Europe, what New- York is to America. 
While the latter place is to become to America what 
London is to the whole Eastern world, Liverpool never can 
be. The progress of New- York, as the great money centre, 
must be in far greater ratio than that of Liverpool ; and in 
command of real wealth, cash, in a very few years, she 
will only be secondary to London, if not her equal. In- 
deed, the wealth of New-York is immensely ahead of 
Liverpool, notwithstanding the enormous commerce here. 

On Tuesday we leave for London, via the London and 
North Western Railway, and we have bright anticipations 
of such a lovely ride as we never had in our lives. We 
will there add a few lines to these, for we cannot finish 
now. 

London, July 22d. — We reached our lodgings here, Mr. 
and Mrs. Hoflesh's, No. 8 Queen-street Place, after one of 
the pleasantest rides one can imagine, and found our dear 
friends prepared to receive and welcome us. 

The country the entire route is enchantment itself, and 
the wide-spread landscape has the appearance more of a 
continuous garden, than of a farming country. The fields 
are small, but beautifully green with soft and tender grass, 
hedged, and highly cultivated, with fine shade trees, oaks, 
elms, and others, left here and there in almost every field, 
and in the hedgerows, so that the scene is constantly chang- 
ing and picturesque in the extreme, and the eye is every 
moment delighted and regaled. The lawn-like fields of 
various kinds of grass, the ripening grain, and the dark, 
verdant parks and forests, afford a changing panorama, 
such as we have not. Here and there loom up in the dis- 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 4 

tance, some lofty ranges of hills ; almost hidden away in 
the depths of the green wood, some old mansion or castle, 
that has stood through the wars and sunshine and tem- 
pests of ages ; and then those sweet and embowered cot- 
tages, multitudes of them, that are such hallowed looking 
nests of peace, that any aching heart could be at perfect 
rest and peace in them. But time now remonstrates and 
forbids a longer epistle, and you must patiently await our 
time to write further. We hope we are still improving in 
health, and again bid you adieu. 



LETTER No. IV. 

London, England, July 25th, 1857. 



Dear Sister J. 



Our delightful ride from Liverpool to this great and 
wonderful metropolis, was a new and exceedingly interest- 
ing chapter in the history of our existence, affording us a 
pleasure such as we never before experienced, except in 
the fanciful conceptions of dream-land. You know how, 
when enwrapped in sweet slumber, the soul seems to go 
out, at times, after the "beautiful, and spend its rosiest 
hours there, basking in the very sunshine of bliss. Some 
such transport of pleasure was ours on this route, we en- 
joying the reality instead of awakening to the disappoint- 
ment that we experience after our rosiest dreams. 

On nearing London, the first evidence of oar proximity 
is the hovering cloud of smoke that can be seen for miles 
distant in a clear day. When we left Liverpool in the 
morning, a gentle rain was lazily falling oe'r the earth, but 
by the middle of the afternoon the sky had cleared off 
beautifully, with here and there a soft floating cloud, and 
we entered beneath a smiling sky, reaching the great iron 
and glass station, with its lofty brick front, in Euston 
Square, at aquarter past four o'clock, P. M., when we took 
a cab for our quarters at No. 8 Queen-street Place, South- 
wark Bridge, in our way passing through the famous 



52 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

Smith-field, over the very ground made sacred by the 
blood and martyrdom of Latimer and John Rodgers, and 
many others sacrificed at the stake by slow, consuming 
fires, during the fury and tyranny under bloody Mary ; 
thence through sundry wide and compactly built streets, 
into Cheapside, and down Q,ueen-street to our stopping- 
place. 

The life-like and splendid statue of Stevenson, the great 
rail-road man and engineer, in the station house, attracted 
considerable attention, and is justly considered a very fine 
piece of work. 

Having brushed the dust from our garments, we sallied 
forth — notwithstanding the slowly descending "London, 
shower," which had sprung up and come down as if by 
magic, (and these are said to be one of the great pecu- 
liarities of London,) and which rapidly increased to quite a 
heavy rain — first to pay our respects to St. Paul's Cathe- 
dral, the second finest cathedral of the world, and with 
great delight and admiring wonder viewed its magnificent 
proportions, from the pavement to the topmost heaven- 
pointing cross. The dome and front on Cannon Street, as 
well as the principal front towards Ludgate Hill, are 
exceedingly effective. The statues of the Apostles and 
the emblematic figures are life-like in the extreme ; and 
towering over one hundred feet above you, weatherworn, 
begrimed with smoke and age, venerable, indeed, with 
time, speak with their marble lips and eyes of the long 
past. The statue of Queen Elizabeth, on a pedestal in the 
centre of the court of the main entrance, is very good and 
expressive. The effect of light and shade on the columns 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 53 

and walls, casements and windows, cornices and whole 
entablature, is very agreeable, and adds not a little to the 
pleasing picturesqueness and grandeur of the venerable 
pile. The genius of the builder, who in this work alone 
immortalized his name, Sir Christopher Wren, can never 
be imagined or fully estimated without seeing this mas- 
terpiece. Grazing on the gigantic structure, we cannot 
but wonder at the art that can fashion out of such rude 
materials a work of such magnificence and exquisite 
beauty. But the grandeur of this immense structure 
only half reveals itself outside. Ascending a fine flight 
of stone steps, now considerably worn, and standing be- 
neath the massive doors of the cathedral, you are awe- 
stricken ; its beauty and boldness, its grace and symmetry, 
swell before you, like, as it were, arches of rainbows. The 
perfectness of detail, the chasteness of form, and the grand 
perspective, are wonderful, and far beyond comparison with 
any building we have ever before seen in the United 
States or Mexico. On the great windows are full length 
figures of the Apostles, in stained glass, so perfect in 
feature and in drapery you exclaim unconsciously, " How 
wonderful ! how wonderful !" Glorious work of genius ! 
Surpassed only by the works of the Almighty ! There one 
might gaze and gaze again, till the morning light had 
faded into gloomy night, and not be satiated. We re- 
turned to our lodgings quite gratified for the time being, 
thankful, indeed, for what our eyes had beheld, and with 
new ideas of the beautiful and the grand of earth. No 
poet's pen had ever told us the half that our eyes had now 
seen, and we had partaken of a feast for the soul. 



54 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

Beneath this, England's great Cathedral, under the cen- 
tre of the princely dome, is the mausoleum, containing the 
remains of her most glorious dead, her two most illustrious 
heroes, who had achieved her greatest triumphs by sea and 
land, and participated in her greatest honors — Nelson and 
Wellington. 

Their tombs, whose sculptured marble and grateful 
inscriptions speak of their noble daring and honorable 
deeds, are shrines to the Queen and subject, lord and 
peasant, rich and poor alike. There is an ever-burning 
lamp suspended in the crypt. 

Many of the marble statues, groups, basso relievos^ 
and monuments, commemorating the lives, genius, and 
achievements of England's departed but well remembered 
heroes, are extremely beautiful and impressive. No 
wonder that Englishmen love England, since the noble 
deeds and virtues of her faithful sons are thus com- 
memorated in enduring monuments, . exquisitely moulded 
into forms that live in the hearts of the people, ever 
speaking to the generations that grow up succeeding 
one another, as the living characters they represent 
did to the generations in which they acted. No pen 
and ink sketch will fully convey an idea of the just 
proportions, graceful draperies, life-like expression, and 
wonderful effect on the spectator of these master-pieces 
of beauty and art. 

After our night's rest, our first steps were directed to the 
Tower, that old historical Royal Castle that has so many 
associations of prison, palace, and fortress. This monu- 
ment of ancient times is situated on the bank of the 
Thames, as you will doubtless very well remember, on 






NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 55 

what is known as Tower Hill. It undoubtedly owes its 
origin to the Romans, who here constructed some kind of 
fortifications, and, it is supposed by some, a mint for mould- 
ing the coins they then used, as in some of the early ex- 
cavations coins were found, and a bar of silver marked 
with a Roman stamp. William the Conqueror, however, 
erected the first of the present buildings when with the 
fierce Normans he swept England like an avalanche ; and 
here have been the royal residence and state prison, in 
years gone by ; and here have been what great joys and 
royal pleasures, and pomps and processions, and heart 
sicknesses and cruelties, and death-sorrows ! Dark shad- 
ows of the past literally enshroud this gloomy pile. 

On arriving at the outer gate, we are passed in by the 
sentinel, whose predecessors have trod their rounds these 
thousand years probably, on the same spot ; we then meet 
one of the "beef-eaters," dressed in the gay livery estab- 
lished by Henry VIII., with mace in hand, (usually old 
veterans that have served the country faithfully through 
many wars and years of hardships,) and are conducted by 
him, for a small stated fee, through the places of greatest 
interest to visitors. Having entered at the south-west 
corner we cross the moat, now dry, and which has not 
been filled for many years, on a stone bridge, and are at once 
within the most ancient walls of this old fortress, which is 
protected at all points with bristling cannon. The moat 
is very deep, and when filled with water, supplied through 
heavy gates from the Thames, makes an almost impregna- 
ble barrier. "We passed through the gate called the Traitor's 
Gate, through which state prisoners used to be brought 
in, and thence underneath the Bloody Tower to the 



56 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

horse armory, where are so tastefully arranged the won- 
derful equestrian statues of the kings and warriors of an- 
cient times. It will he recollected "by you, that in the 
Bloody Tower were so inhumanly confined and mur- 
dered the royal children, two sons of Edward IV., in 1483, 
whose hones were exhumed one hundred and thirty 
years ago ; "being then found while making some ex- 
cavations for subsequent foundations, having lain there 
near two hundred and fifty years, in a very good state 
of preservation, side by side, as buried by the cruel 
wretches, under the direction of Tyrrell, suborned by the 
infamous Duke of (xloster. They were removed to 
Westminster Abbey, where their bones now lie, and over 
them is placed an exquisite monument in marble, forever 
sacred to their memory. 

From the Bloody Tower we entered the White Tower, 
three very lofty stories high, built in the year 1080 — 
a grand specimen of Norman architecture. Its outer 
walls are fifteen feet thick, the partitions seven feet, and 
the roof covered with thick lead. The smallest room is 
known as Queen Elizabeth's room, and she here sits in her 
robes of state, as worn by her at her coronation, with ail 
her state jewels ; the small palfrey on which she rides being 
led by two beautifully attired pages. This and the other 
rooms are decorated with, as it were, a tapestry of arms 
of all kinds known in the warfare of man. There are also 
some fine specimens of painted and stained glass here — a 
curious old specie chest recovered from the famous armada, 
queer looking old cannon, shot, chains, slugs, &c. Out of 
Queen Bess's room, we were shown into the cell in which 
Sir Walter Raleigh was so infamously confined thirteen 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 57 

years, and where he wrote his celebrated History of the 
World. Here, also, is the veritable block on which rested 
the heads of the beautiful Lady Jane Grey and Anna 
Boleyn, Lord Dudley, and others of the great and good, 
and the axe that severed their heads from their bodies ; 
and as one gazes on the very marks of the edge of the 
horrid instrument, an involuntary shudder runs through 
the body and chills the blood, as we remember those 
by-gone days when were sacrificed so many innocent vic- 
tims to passion and revenge. 

The arrangements of arms in the horse armory room in 
rosettes, orders, stars, coats of arms, &c, are very neatly 
done ; and as we look on the long line of burnished steel 
and brass and gold armor once worn by kings and knights 
and their steeds, and the rich caparisons, all ready for the 
fierce rencontre with daring foe or friend of the chivalry 
of olden time, we realize what we have read about the 
fierce times of the Plantagenets and the Crusaders, and 
seern better to comprehend the days of chivalry and knight- 
errantry, when might made right, and the strongest ruled 
the weak — ages now so happily passed away, we trust, 
forever. 

There are also here the armor of Crusaders, (one set 
known to be six hundred years old,) archers, swordsmen 
and bowmen, Mameluke's arms, Chinese and East Indian 
arms, in all their variety, as used in barbaric and civilized 
ages. And here are ancient British Saxon arms, and 
monstrous horns, spears, cross-bows and arrows, bat- 
tle axes, and specimens of all conceivable weapons ever 
used in war. Here we see Edward I., of the year 1272, in 
a suit of armor such as worn on the fields of Dunbar and 



58 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

Bannockburn; Henry VI., in whose time the armor was 
so valuable that prisoners were commonly sacrificed for 
the sake of the spoil ; Edward IV., of from 1464 to 1483, 
equipped with the tilting lance and the armor for the tour- 
nament ; Richard III., with the perfection of armor, such as 
was worn at York, Lancaster and Bosworth Field ; Henry 
VII., with his ancient sword in his right hand and battle 
axe hanging from his saddle bow ; Henry VIII., in his un- 
equaled armour, made of Damascus steel inlaid with gold, 
now in a fine state of preservation, with a short sword dang- 
ling at his saddle bow, and a six foot bladed sword at his 
side — the horse caparisoned as beautifully and richly as 
the royal rider ; Edward YL, of 1552, with russet-colored 
armor, inlaid with gold, and covered with very rich ara- 
besque work ; James L, in his plain armor, with an im- 
mense tilting lance, that one would suppose no one arm 
could wield ; of Charles I., on a suberb dun-colored char- 
ger, in his suit of gilt armor, the gift of the city of London ; 
— and numerous others that it would take pages of paper 
to describe, renowned in the pages of history, some for 
goodness and noble deeds, and some for great cruelty and 
heartlessness, painful to think of even at this late day. 
Here we might have spent the whole day with great 
interest, but the visitor cannot tarry, as the guide has 
passed on to Beauchamp's Tower, and thither we must 
follow, or lose the old fashioned song of his story. Here we 
mount up the narrow, circular staircase of stone, and as 
we do so, memory goes back to persecutions and cruelties 
that humanity recoils from and shudders to think of — to 
Essex, Dudley, Raleigh, Mary Queen of Scots, Lady Jane 
Grey, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, and a host of others, 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 59 

who have here suffered and died. On these walls we now 
read their names, and many inscriptions cut by their own 
fingers. The very spot in the court-yard where the lovely 
Lady Jane Grey was beheaded, and by the axe before 
mentioned, was pointed out to us. Tears of sympathy 
started to our eyes as we called to mind her character, 
loveliness and beauty, and the horrid cruelties she so pa- 
tiently endured. Here, also, in 1536, only three short 
years after her magnificent and pompous entry as a royal 
bride, the beautiful Anne Boleyn was grossly abused and 
inhumanly imprisoned by the reckless tyranny of that 
unscrupulous and unfaithful king, Henry VIII. , — led 
forth like a lamb to the slaughter, and executed, by order 
of her husband, who will always be known as " the 
woman butcher," and her body then cast into an old iron 
chest and buried beneath the vaults of the chapel of the 
Tower. Neither sex, age nor condition have been regarded 
or spared here. Passion, revenge and malice have truly 
rioted, with blood-stained hands, heedless of the most 
piteous cries for mercy, or the goadings of a guilty con- 
science. From one of these dungeons the good and venera- 
ble Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, then eighty years of age, 
his head as white as the pure driven snow, wrote to the then 
Secretary Cromwell : "I have neither shirt nor sute to 
wear, but that bee ragged and rent so shamefully ; my 
dyett also, Grod'knoweth how slender it is many tymes." 

Turning from the remembrance of these scenes, we made 
our way to the Crown Jewel Room, rebuilt and refit- 
ted for the purpose of their safe keeping, in 1842. Here 
are collected and kept some of the jewels of the kingdom. 
First of all is the great diamond, TCoh-i-Noor, or Mountain; eiT 

3 



60 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 

Light, taken in India, and claimed as a government trophy. 
It is not so brilliant as we expected to see, nor so large, and 
has been very badly ground or cut. Indeed it has really 
been injured by the lapidary, and had better not have been 
cut at all than to have been cut as it is. The next is the 
crown of her Majesty, Queen Victoria. It is brilliant 
and resplendent with large and valuable diamonds, and 
other precious stones, and the centre of the cross that sur- 
mounts it is an -'inestimable sapphire," so called. In the 
band is a heart-shaped ruby, of great beauty and value, 
once worn by the celebrated Black Prince. The other 
articles, crown of the Prince of Wales, crowns of Anne 
Boleyn and of Mary Queen of Scots, the diadems, staves, 
and royal sceptres of ivory and gold, the swords of Mercy 
and Justice, coronation bracelets, anointing vessel, bap- 
tismal font and sacramental plate, are very magnificent, 
and resplendent with gems of fabulous value. The whole 
value of this jewelry and plate is enormous indeed. None 
of it is ever used, except at coronations, and the baptismal 
plate at the baptism of the royal children. 

It will be remembered by you, perhaps, that a great fire, 
about 1840 or 1841, did considerable damage to this part 
of the Tower buildings, but now all has been substantially 
rebuilt, and is considered fire-proof. "Within the walls are 
also vast stores for the army, and at all times the barracks 
contain a body, one thousand strong, of the flower of the 
British army, for guard duty. This morning we were too 
late for "guard-mounting," which we much regretted, as 
it is always a pleasant sight. 

The veteran by whom we were conducted through the 
Tower, and with whom we had the pleasure of consider- 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 61 

able conversation, was one of the Duke of Wellington's 
oldest body servants, and a very intelligent and active old 
man. He related his story with a pride and self-satisfaction 
that pleased us highly. He also pointed out to us several 
winding stairways, dungeons, and passages, into which 
visitors are not now permitted to go, and some that have 
not been opened or entered for many years. 

Imagination would constantly picture to us these prem- 
ises as solemnly still, bat-haunted, and dilapidated, not- 
withstanding the scrupulous neatness everywhere to be 
seen, the presence of the guards, the various government 
officers, with their numerous employees, and the constant 
thronstins: out and in of visitors : — at least we could not 
divest ourselves of this feeling. The sufferings and perse- 
cutions of all classes of people would constantly come up 
before us. During the reign of Edward III. alone, six 
hundred Jews were inhumanly incarcerated within these 
walls, and suffered a lingering death, by the slow poison 
of the damp dungeons, in order that their money and es- 
tates might revert to the use of the Crown ; and here the 
infamous and wretched Jeffries (we thought of Cato), paid 
with his life the penalty of some of his crimes. 

We next visited the Royal Exchange, an edifice of the 
Grecian order of architecture, of considerable beauty, and 
great solidity. The principal front is towards Cheapside, 
and exhibits a fine tympanum, with splendid allegorical 
figures, and the noble inscription, 

" THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S, AND THE FULLNESS THEREOF." 

On the opposite side is the Bank of England, and not 
far off, just at the entrance to Cheapside, the Lord Mayor's 



62 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

residence. Neither of these buildings are particularly 
beautiful, but both are very substantial, especially the 
Bank, which is the plainest of the three ; but as it has the 
gold inside, it matters not so much about the outside. 
Having an order to go through it, we will defer any further 
description till we have done so. The Lord Mayor's resi- 
dence is spacious in its dimensions, and displays some very 
good architectural points, particularly the great portico ; and 
though it is open to visitors, we had not time to examine its 
interior, the day having been mostly spent in our visit to 
the Tower. 

Passing to our quarters, over Cornhill, and down Grace- 
church and King William streets, we pass a noble statue 
of William IV., and also the great Monument — built by Sir 
Christopher Wren, in commemoration of the Great Fire 
that, shortly after the Great Plague, swept with fearful 
havoc the devoted city, — and arrive at London Bridge, the 
greatest thoroughfare of London. The structure is im- 
mense, and the crowd ditto. It is constructed entirely ^f 
stone, is wide enough for four carriages abreast, and a foot- 
walk for pedestrians each side, and is a perfect work of its 
kind. 

The river Thames is not so large a stream, independent 
of the tide, as the descriptions most frequently given of it 
lead one to believe ; neither is the traffic of sea-going ves- 
sels as extensively displayed as we expected to see. But 
there is an immense amount of tonnage in the great 
Docks, not observable from the river. Great numbers of 
small boats, wherries, and steamers, constantly ply up and 
down and across the stream, conveying crowds of men, 
women and children. At low tide, when the river shows 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 63 

its natural banks, it is not wider than the Illinois is at low 
water immediately in front of Ottawa. The immense tide 
of eighteen to twenty feet makes it the "noble Thames" 
it really is at high tide, and gives it depth to float most 
vessels ; and when you get as far down as Greenwich Hos- 
pital and Black wall, its depth increases to the draught of 
the largest ships that float. The amount of shipping to 
be seen by one standing on London Bridge, compared with 
New- York or Liverpool, is nothing. Chicago harbor often 
contains considerably more than we could see in the 
river. 

On the following morning we made our way, via the 
steam-wherry, to Waterloo Bridge Station, and by the 
Southwestern Railway to Kew- Bridge and the celebrated 
Kew G-ardens, laid out with great taste, under the patron- 
age and superintending care of George III., who here 
built, and occupied for some time, quite an ordinary three- 
story brick house, and called it a palace. 

The grounds are beautifully laid out, and the old park 
is filled with very fine trees, noble foresters indeed, whose 
towering tops and wide-spreading arms have often shaded 
and echoed the foot-steps of royalty in privacy, and rung 
with the regal sports of the chase in the olden time. The 
grounds wind along the left bank of the Thames for about 
two miles, and afford a refreshing resort and daily delight 
to all who promenade there ; and as the grounds are open 
to the public every day, without expense, and so near to 
London, it is a favorite pleasure excursion, and many thou- 
sands frequent it daily. 

The Botanical Gardens at Kew contain specimens of 
every known plant, and are very beautifully laid out, with 



64 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

broad and winding avenues and walks of gravel, rolled as 
hard and smooth as if made of cast-iron plates. The green- 
houses are tastefully arranged, and heated in winter hy 
steam, conveyed through pipes, from a distance of nearly 
half a mile. The beautiful pond of water in front of the 
Botanical Museum is well stored with large and graceful 
white swans, and some other species of water-fowl, that 
disport themselves here to the infinite amusement of num- 
bers of children, who keep them always well fed. In no 
garden in the world is there to be found a greater variety 
of evergreens from every clime, and among them all the 
American arbor vitre is truly the most beautiful, and is en- 
titled to be called their queen. It grows in perfection here, 
and we could and did point to those "Yankees" with no little 
pride. They were the finest specimens we have ever seen 
cultivated, at home or abroad. The climate, culture and 
moisture, have given them charming color and stature. 
The only Indian Corn we have yet seen growing in Eng- 
land was here. 

Near Kew, on the invitation of a friend, we visited a 
field of wheat of one hundred and fifty acres, which was 
considered a fine specimen of the practical and scientific 
farming of the country. It was a splendid field of grain, 
put in with the drill ; it stood full breast high to an ordi- 
nary-sized man, and was very even and full-headed. Not a 
weed was to be seen in it, and its golden color, softened by 
the evening sunlight, made it look rich indeed. The har- 
vest had just commenced in it, and the farmer thought it 
would yield about fifty bushels to the acre. The expense 
of raising crops of this kind, and, indeed, of all kinds, is 
considerable ; yet the farmer reaps his reward, netting, even 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 65 

here, on this crop of wheat, after paying his high rent, and 
every item of expense, about six guineas, or thirty dollars, 
per acre. No wonder farmers here are the gentlemen of 
the realm, riding their blooded horses over their fields, 
making their daily survey of the progress of their work, 
while the laborers, at a shilling, or two, at most, per diem, 
do the drudgery, in fact all the real labor of the farm, the 
landed proprietor and the farmer reaping the profit. Every 
farm is a garden, and the cultivation of the soil, if properly 
supervised, is always remunerative to the cultivator. 
Would it not also be so with us ? But at present we must 
again bid you adieu. 



LETTER No. V. 

London, England, July 30^, 1857. 
Dear Sister S. * # * * : 

Resuming our pen, we will direct this to yon, though 
intended for all, and resume our sketches of sights and im- 
pressions of England, where we left off on the evening of 
the 25th instant. 

Finding ourselves considerably refreshed after our tea, 
we made our way to the Surrey Gardens, for an evening's 
entertainment, and there heard the world -renowned or- 
chestra leader, Julien, and his band of performers, at least 
one hundred and fifty strong. The place is capacious, ele- 
gantly lighted, comfortably seated, well ventilated, and. will 
accommodate about ten thousand people. That evening 
there was said to be four thousand five hundred people 
present. The music was grand, and many of the pieces 
truly sublime ; we all acknowledged we had never before 
heard " Grod save the Queen." The garden is very finely 
lighted, the walks well-graveled, and the scenery agree- 
able. After the concert there were fire-works, far surpass- 
ing any we had ever before seen — the grand " finale" giving 
us some idea of that "infernal fire" that Grortschakoff ex- 

3* 



68 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

perienced at SebastopoL The Chinese bombs, rockets, gold 
and silver fountains, the falling stars, and fairy scenes of 
variegated lights, were very beautiful. The principal 
beauty to us was the complete order and ehasteness of all 
that was displayed for the benefit of the public. There 
was no rowdyism there, and every disreputable charac- 
ter is excluded, as near as is possible in popular assem- 
blies. 

The 26th, next day. being Sabbath, we made our way 
in the morning to the celebrated Foundling Hospital, found- 
ed by the liberality of George the Third, for the protec- 
tion, education, &c., of foundlings of the city. It is a 
large brick and stone structure in the Gothic style of archi- 
tecture, with a large open court in front, and sheds for 
play-houses for the children, and a fine garden, in the rear. 
There are about 300 boys and girls, all in peculiar uniform, 
who occupy raised seats in the gallery during service — the 
bovs on one side, and the girls on the other — entering and 
taking each their allotted seat with military precision. 
They form the choir. by their teachers, and led by 

competent leaders. The singing is very fine, some of the 
voices uncommonly good, and the organ has long been cele- 
brated for its sweetness of tone. It is indeed one of the 
sweetest organs in the world, and we were charmed with 
its lovely tones and harmonies. In the rooms, drawing- 
rooms, sitting-rooms and offices, are a number of very fine 
old paintings, well worth the attention of visitors. 

In the afternoon we visited St. Paul's Cathedral, for the 
purpose of attending service, but being a minute or two 
too late, could not get seats in a locality to hear well, such 
was the crowd. One of the venerable Deans was the 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 69 

preacher, but we could not hear well. The singing was 
good and occasionally grand, as it combined with the rich 
tones of the great organ, and reverberated through the 
lofty arches. 

In the evening we made our way to the church of Dr. 
Cummings, of world-wide fame for his remarkable lectures 
on the Apocalypse and on Romanism. Though the build- 
ing was crowded to its utmost capacity, we succeeded in 
getting " good sittings," as they say here, and heard him 
with great pleasure. His voice is rich and soft like an 
seolian, and his language like the even flowing of a clear 
and white-pebbled river. Eloquence is a natural gift to 
him, and gushes out of his pleasing mouth like the waters 
out of the wonderful fountains of Sydenham. His mind 
is apparently well stored with all that is lovely, beautiful, 
grand and soul-stirring, having on his tongue's end the 
gems of ancient and modern literature ; and yet his 
style is of such simplicity and plainness that a child can 
comprehend every word and sentence of his preaching. 
He abounds in personal application, touching and simple 
appeals, and is so clear, forcible and practicable, that we 
could have listened to him for hours without tiring. 

The next morning, Monday, the 27th, we took the rail- 
road to visit Windsor Palace and Park, the proud residence 
of the Sovereigns of England for centuries past, now the 
chief residence of Victoria, and containing in all about 
9,960 acres in gardens, farms and parks, the buildings 
covering alone over thirty-two acres. Plere royalty has 
had its habitation long anterior to the days of the Conquest, 
even the old Saxon kings having dwelt at Windsor ; and 
the building of a great part of the present castle dates 



70 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

back to the reign of William the First. Here, then, after 
a lovely ride of twenty miles, is 

" Windsor's stately court," 

and we of course will now 

" Explore her halls, her towers, her sacred fane, 
And treat our eyes with grandeur. Look around, 
And mark the teeming landscape strewed with gems 
Of architecture, mansions, villas, domes — 
Replete with art and science, taste and beauty." 

Just hefore reaching the depot we had a very fine view 
of the Castle as it stands in grandeur on a lofty eminence. 
The engraved pictures we have seen of it at home repre- 
sent its noble outside appearance quite correctly, and its 
outward show is striking and effective, view it from what 
point we may. The inside finish of the buildings, many 
English people say, compares so unfavorably for beauty 
with many of the palaces and mansions of the noblemen 
and gentlemen of England, that though this is the only 
one of the royal palaces of the realm fit for the Queen to 
live in, yet it is not such a palace in all respects as it 
ought to be. 

Before entering, however, the State apartments, (for 
which we have an order from the Lord High Chamberlain, 
the private apartments not being opened to the public or 
visitors, except when her Majesty the Queen is, as now, 
absent at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, her usual sum- 
mer residence, with the whole royal family,) we will first 
take a hasty look at an old circular fortification on the 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 71 

southwestern side to the left of the grand entrance, consi- 
derably in ruins, marked as " Caesar's Tower" — having "been 
built, it is said, in the time of Julius Caesar. The inside 
is now partially in a good state of preservation, but outside 
it needs considerable repair, which is about to be com- 
menced. It bears the marks of age, and ought by all 
means to be preserved as a venerable relic of the past. 
There is one very interesting vaulted chamber in it, hav- 
ing what is called a groined ceiling, of excellent workman- 
ship, some of it quite elaborate ; and this is believed now 
to be the most ancient room in England. 

Entering the small vestibule up the way to the State 
apartments, we first register our names, and then pass 
through a very narrow side passage to an ante-room as 
plain almost as a Dutch farmer's kitchen, where we have 
to sit on wooden benches such as we used to sit on in the 
old log school houses, until the under steward in waiting 
makes his appearance as conductor, and introduces us 
thence into the Queen's Audience Chamber. This is 
not a large sized room, but the walls are very chastely 
adorned with beautiful Grobelin tapestry- work, representing 
the history of Esther and the final triumph of Mordecai. 
On the ceiling is a fine allegorical painting, in fresco 
of Queen Catherine as Britannia, proceeding to the 
temple of Virtue, in a beautiful car drawn by white swans, 
and having for her maids of honor several of the mytholo- 
gical goddesses. The next room was formerly known as 
the old Ball Room, but now it is called the Vandyke Room. 
It is long, like a gallery, and takes its name from being 
hung with a rare collection of this great artist's most su- 



72 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

perb paintings, the majority of them portraits of royal per- 
sonages known in English history. From this we passed 
into the Queen's Drawing-room, which looks not unlike the 
East Room at the President's Mansion at Washington. 
There are some fine paintings here by Zuccarelli : particu- 
larly noticeable are the Meeting of Isaac and Rebecca ; 
the Finding of Moses by Pharaoh's Daughter ; the portraits 
of the kings Greorge the First, Second, and Third, and of 
Henry, Dake of Gloucester, when a child — a very sweet 
picture — and of Frederick, Prince of Wales. The view 
from the windows is very fine, and on a clear day extends 
for many miles over a most pleasing landscape. Adjoin- 
ing this is the great State Ante-room, which exhibits some 
very elegant specimens of wood carving in fruit, flowers, 
fish and fowl of different kinds, and on the ceiling a splen- 
did allegorical fresco of the Banquet of the gods. The 
grand staircase and vestibule are quite lofty apartments of 
very good design, decorated with military trophies : a sta- 
tue of Greorge the Fourth, suits of ancient armor, and a 
very curious clock, having a good toned organ in the centre 
of the case. From here we passed into the Waterloo 
Chamber, a fine room, used as a banqueting-hall. This 
is well decorated with paintings of the^principal characters 
that were present and distinguished themselves on the 
field of Waterloo, besides a large number of the leading 
Kings, Emperors, noblemen and gentlemen that have been 
prominent actors in State and Church for centuries past, 
and up to the present time. All the doors, picture-frames, 
chimney-pieces, wainscoting and panelings are adorned 
with rich carvings of various designs. 

The great Presence Chamber is of respectable size, 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 73 

and is ornamented very richly in the style of Louis the 
Fourteenth. It has been called surprisingly grand, and a 
gorgeous room ; but this is extravagance. The room is a 
beautiful one, in the strictest sense of the word, but not 
such a room as we expected to see, or as it ought to be, in 
such a large palace ; comparatively speaking, indeed, for 
the place, it is small ; certainly it might have been much 
larger, and thus made truly grand. The walls are mag- 
nificently hung, with rare specimens of Gobelin tapestry 
that are probably not excelled in England, representing the 
story of Jason and Medea : his carrying off the Golden 
Fleece ; his Marriage ; the Flight of Medea, &c. — on which 
we could have delightedly gazed for hours. There are also 
here some large and elaborately worked vases in granite, 
and a malachite one of great beauty, presented to the 
Queen by the late Nicholas, Emperor of the Russias. 

Next we enter St. George's Hall, which is a grand 
room in its dimensions, being 200 feet in length, 34 feet 
wide, and 32 feet high. In the east end is the Queen's 
throne of richly carved oak and crimson velvet, and here 
the old knights and chivalry of England from time im- 
memorial have assembled, and paid their honors to the so- 
vereign, and respects and pledges to each other. Their 
arms, in gold and brilliant colors, emblazon its ceiling and 
panels. The walls are covered with line portraits of the 
sovereigns, and the names of the knights are all painted 
or gilded on the side panels of the windows. Adjoining 
this is the Guard Chamber, a good sized room, very in- 
geniously embellished with collections of various kinds of 
arms and old armor on the walls and ceilings, making 
what may not inappropriately be called frescoes of arms. 



74 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

In this room are deposited a portion of the foremast of the 
" Victory," Lord Nelson's flag ship at the bloody battle of 
Trafalgar, with a hole through it made by a cannon shot 
from the enemy ; a chair made from an elm tree that grew 
on the field of Waterloo, and was riddled by shot in the 
battle ; another made out of a beam from " Alloway's auld 
haunted kirk, " celebrated in Burns' immortal " Tarn 
O'Shanter ;" a very beautiful shield of steel, inlaid with 
gold, presented by Francis the First, King of France, to 
Henry the Eighth, and carried by him at the celebrated 
tournament and meeting on the " Field of the Cloth of 
Gold ;" two brass six-pounders taken from the Sikh ar- 
tillery in the early wars in India, that are remarkably 
elaborate, and as beautiful guns as can be made. There 
are in addition to the above, two smaller ones taken in 
some battle in India, that exhibit a skill in working metals 
such as is very seldom seen, being inlaid with gold and 
mother of pearl, and mounted on carriages of carved ma- 
hogany, elaborately finished and brilliantly polished. 
There are also displayed here some rich trappings and 
houdahs for elephants from India, sedan chairs, ivory work, 
&c, &c. 

From the view of the State apartments we proceeded to 
the terraces, 1,870 feet long, commenced by Queen Eliza- 
beth and continued to completion by Charles the Second. 
The view from here is very beautiful indeed, the old town 
of Windsor and the famed Eton College being plainly seen, 
and the new flower-garden, quite profusely ornamented 
with bronze and marble statues, and the fountains and the 
orangery — all exquisite in their way. 

Thence we retraced our steps, and proceeded to St. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 75 

George's Chapel, long justly celebrated as one of the most 
delicate and splendid specimens of architecture to be found. 
It is built of a fine white free stone from foundation to the 
cross, with a roof of the same. The inside has always 
been greatly admired. The stained glass smaller windows 
and the great west window are very beautiful ; also the 
ceilings, arches, columns, emblazoned devices, carved 
work, canopies, arms, &c, &c, are all magnificent in 
their way, and can only be truly appreciated by being 
seen. They seem to be the perfection of art, and no one 
can look upon them without admiration, if not astonish- 
ment and wonder. 

Here are buried Henrys the Sixth and Eighth, Edward 
the Fourth, Jane Seymour and Charles the First ; and 
there are several beautiful monuments and sculptured 
tombs of kings. But above all is that remarkable sculp- 
ture, the unequaled cenotaph to the Princess Charlotte, 
which no person should come to England without seeing. 
Its fame is already world-wide, but we mast add a word 
or two. 

The beautiful Princess is represented lying on a bier, 
with a female attendant at each corner, weeping with the 
deepest sorrow ; in the back ground two angels with their 
wings poised for flight, one holding in his arms the new- 
born dead infant child, the other looking through sorrow- 
ful smiles on the death-stricken mother. Above is a very 
elegant canopy of clouds and gilded work. The drapery 
of the Princess, and the long veil or shroud through which 
you apparently see her lovely form and features, as well as 
the drapery of the attendants, and the folds of the hangings 
in the back ground, all of white marble, are so natural, so 



76 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

graceful, that you gaze on them with astonishment. "We 
never saw anything so touching or effective. The thrill of 
pleasure that fills the soul in looking upon it, attests that it 
is a work of uncommon genius ; and we questioned whether 
art could have done any more to make a perfect work. 
We regretted we did not learn the artist's name, and left it 
with a lingering look behind us, for we could have happily 
passed even hours there. 

Beneath the chancel is the present last resting-place of 
the Kings and Queens of England and the royal family, 
and where her present Majesty will doubtless be entombed 
when she puts off this mortal form. 

From the chapel we mounted the two hundred and 
twenty-five steps to the top of the celebrated Round 
Tower, whence there is a view on a clear day (and it was 
one when we were there) of great extent and magnifi- 
cence. Twelve whole counties can be seen from the sum- 
mit of this tower, presenting a panorama not often equal- 
ed. It is almost a fairy landscape: lawns, parks, deep 
woods, villages, churches, cottages, mansions, fields, rivers, 
hills and dales, as far as the eye can see — and we enjoyed 
it fully. To the level of the Grreat Park it is two hundred 
and ninety-five feet, and from this elevation it can be seen- 
in all its extent and grandeur. The first flight of steps up 
to a landing numbers just one hundred, and here you meet 
a cannon staring you full in the face, said to be always 
loaded, and only wanting the match to be applied to sweep 
the stairs at one discharge. 

Descending again to earth, we were conducted to the 
Royal Stables — very extensive and neat. To enter here, we 
had to procure a separate order from the " Master of the 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 77 

Horse." There were some passably good horses — none 
extra, except a pair or two of Arabians, very pretty, and 
some ponies belonging to the Prince of "Wales, and Prince 
Alfred, the best being either in London, or taken by her 
Majesty to the Isle of "Wight. There is stabling for 100 
horses. The carriages were ordinary ; many drivers in 
New- York, even in Chicago, own and drive handsomer 
carriages than can be numbered among those we saw here ; 
perhaps the best have heen taken to Osborne House. The 
state carriages and part of the horses are at the stables at- 
tached to Buckingham Palace, St. James' Park, London. 
The stud, when here, fills all the stables, one hundred 
horses and ponies being in use for the Queen, Prince Al- 
bert, and the children. The riding-room, used by the chil- 
dren in wet and inclement weather, is a fine one, being 
170 feet long, 52 feet wide, and 40 feet high. There is 
also near the castle a great kennel for the dogs and hounds ? 
of almost every variety, and an aviary containing a rare 
and excellent collection of birds of every clime. 

Having wearied ourselves with walking, we took an 
open carriage, and entered the Park at the entrance of 
the Long Walk — a noble avenue, three miles in length, 
having on either side a double row of majestic elms, 
planted in 1670. The avenue is nearly three hundred 
feet wide, and the road is made of fine gravel, rolled as hard 
as it can be. At the entrance the vista is charming, and the 
colossal equestrian statue of Greorge III. is plainly to be 
seen, though it stands at the end of the Walk. Through 
this avenue we drove to Virginia "Water in the Park, 
six miles from the Castle, and the whole way is delight- 
ful and refreshing with beauty The natural lake here, 



78 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

aided by art and science, is made almost like enchant- 
ment, and having reached it we alight from our carriage 
and walk around the margin full one mile, and then 
again take onr carriage. About midway between the two 
points, a miniature brig, named the " Yictorina," full rig- 
ged, rides at anchor near a beautiful pavilion descending to 
the water's edge, built by William IV., And here a very 
pleasing incident occurred in connection with the brig. 
"When opposite it, surveying her pretty model and remarking 
how like a duck she sat on the water, we asked our little 
Georgie if he would not like to ride in that brig, and who 
he thought was her commander. Quicker than thought, he 
answered, " I can't ride in that ship — I guess the Prince 
of Wales is the captain of her !" Our question was 
answered, but how the happy thought should so quickly 
occur to him was curious, as the Prince's name had not 
been mentioned in connection with her, and it turned 
out he was right in his answer, though we did not know 
it at the time. The Prince here takes his lessons in nau- 
tical affairs and practical navigation. 

The cascade, artificially formed of the ruins of a Saxon 
cromlech or altar, is pretty, and quite refreshing to look 
upon. There is also an archway of marble and granite 
and large blocks of porphyry, brought from the Levant and 
Greece, forming a very ornamental old ruin, called the 
Temple of the Gods. The wood walks and lawns here 
afford a most refreshing and quiet retreat. 

Belvidere Fort, the Royal Lodge, formerly the summer 
residence of George IV. ; Frogmore House and grounds, 
the residence of the Duchess of Kent ; Cumberland House ; 
the great equestrian statue of George III., and the nu- 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 79 

merous old trees, drives, and avenues, deserve attention and 
description, but must be seen to be appreciated. 

There are many thousand deer in the Park, large herds 
of which we saw quietly grazing in the distance ; some we 
drove very near to, and they remained looking as uncon- 
cerned, natural and easy as if on our wide prairies, and we 
a thousand miles off. We also drove by the model farm of 
his Royal Highness, Prince Albert, and, so far as we could 
see, everything looked complete, tasteful, and in a very 
high state of cultivation ; the buildings, fences and hedges 
in excellent preservation, and the crops giving a most 
abundant promise of reward for the careful husbandry. 

The Prince, it is said, does well everything he under- 
takes, and has been the direct means of promoting great 
improvements in the economy of farming. Pie has built 
well ventilated and comfortable lodging houses for the poor, 
introduced improvements in the care, raising and feeding 
of cattle and sheep, and has elevated the standard of the 
practical education of the children of the whole country. 
Royalty does not seem to dazzle him so much that he can- 
not see that the governed masses of the country have 
wants and rights to satisfy and protect as well as the no- 
bility. Under the nourishing administration of Victoria, 
and the counsels of Albert, and the able Ministries that 
she has usually called around her, England is better gov- 
erned, and, notwithstanding her immense debt, more pros- 
perous in her commercial, agricultural and mechanical 
relations, and the masses happier, than ever before under 
any other king or queen. The people, too, love and 
pay cheerful homage to their sovereign, and honor her 
consort. 



SO NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

But we must no longer linger at lovely and stately 
Windsor, nor pay too much devotion to royalty, for it is 
not all gold that glitters, whether in (rod's earth or in his 
creatures. The day we spent here will be long treasured 
up in our memory as one of rare enjoyment, and the op- 
portunity and privilege of doing so an uncommon one. 
"We bade the noble palace and charming grounds adieu 
with a last fond, lingering look, and our hearts filled to 
overflowing with the pleasure of its grandeur and beau- 
ties. 

Returning to London in three quarters of an hour's ride, 
and having refreshed the inner man with a cup of tea, 
eight o'clock found us at the Historical Gallery of Madame 
Tussaud & Sons, in Baker-street, a wonderful collection of 
wax figures of men and women, and numerous relics and 
curiosities, unrivaled in the world. Here are kings, 
queens, emperors, generals, admirals, governors, cardinals, 
lords, statesmen, divines, and all the most eminent and 
illustrious men the world has produced in statesmanship, 
arts, science, letters, war or the pulpit, in full length, and 
as they lived and walked and acted among their fellow 
men ; so perfect and natural, that, had they tongues in 
their mouths, they might, it would seem, speak to you. 

Entering the small ante-room, where lies in state the 
body of "Wellington, with the insignia of his rank and Or- 
ders properly displayed about him, and also, on the couch 
he used, the great Napoleon slumbering the sleep that 
knows no waking, we humbly made obeisance to the so- 
lemnity and sanctity of the impressive scene. From these 
we turned to our immortal Washington, standing with the 
Constitution in his outstretched hand, his countenance 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 81 

beaming with benignity, and his bearing that of nature's 
own monarch, a man truly in the image of his Maker. 
Near by are Brougham and Fox, Pitt, and others, in earn- 
est conversation. 

In the centre of the main saloon sits her Majesty the 
Queen, his Royal Highness Prince Albert, and the Royal 
Family, as they are at home — a fine group indeed. Be- 
hind Victoria stands the noble and magnificent Duchess of 
Sutherland, her face beaming with love, dignity, and the 
perfection of feminine grace. She is certainly the finest 
looking woman in this wonderful collection, and Mrs. Har- 
riet Beecher Stowe has not in the least exaggerated as to 
her appearance, judging by this splendid figure. Sweet- 
ness sparkles in her every glance. 

In various groups, or alone, we see Ney, Blucher, Omar 
Pacha, Menschikoff, Lord Raglan, Canrobert, and numbers 
of the great military heroes of the past and present, in their 
costume of the field. Kossuth, in his quiet and stern dig- 
nity ; Luther, Calvin, and John Knox, dressed as they 
were, in the clerical costume of their day : the latter, with 
all his vehemence and earnestness, preaching to Mary 
Queen of Scots, who so thoughtfully sits before him, that 
you can almost imagine she will next moment turn her 
keen eye upon him, and exclaim, with all her vivacity, 
" Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian !" A little 
farther on is the now affianced Princess Royal and the 
Prince Royal of Prussia, to be united in marriage the 17th 
of January next, a fine looking couple ; the Princess hav- 
ing a lovely form and sweet expression of countenance, 
that betoken her a beautiful girl. And near by, in a 



32 

group o: is the Emperor Xapoleon III., and her 

Imperial oia, a fine lookii.. not 

The 
Emperor Francis Joseph I . and his En. 

iifnl an :: g looking couple; also her 

majesty the late Queen Charlotte, in full court dress with 
hoops : and the Pri: in 

:k and feature. The Emperor Alexander of Rus- 
sia also stands near, and the severe old ioh, 
St Arnaud and Peili- :he great, physically 
spe:. ith his -. ~hree ra:.. 
on either side, standing : and hov nl and conspicu- 
.inne Boleyn — though all have quite 
remarkahle : sre each in their time called 
beautiful. In near proximo the Cardinal 
habited in fa ical robes and scarlet cap. and on the 
opposite side his Holiness Pope Pius IX. At the end of 

room is a gigantic Russian drumn. . feet an I 

inches high, with the renowned General Thi Thumb 

ling on his hand, lookin. ^ike a hnmrn: :..- 

bird perched on a broad snnflc 

And here, also, is that iron man, England's _ 
chi- if not be: ..well, in his an- 

cient armor, his countenance and position as firm and im- 
movabl: is his loved conn And 

tand the poets of poets, Shakspeare and John 3Iil- 
litUe further on Yoltaire and John Y- and 

then Father Matthew, with all his geir nd good 

looks, with temperance medal in hand : Richard III., in a 
magnificent suit of armor ; Wilherforce. Daniel : Connell 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 83 

the Liberator, and the fireside friend, Walter Scott; the 
great Arab Chief Abdel-Kader ; Hume, Wesley, Cob- 
den, Joan of Arc, Palmerston, Russell, and a multitude 
more that we cannot now enumerate. 

An anecdote, that actually occurred at our expense while 
in this room, will truthfully illustrate how faithful and 
life-like the figures are. William Cobbett is in a sitting 
position just in front of the group of the present Royal 
family. While turning in the crowd between his position 
and the guard of silk cord, strung on the gilded stanchions 
about three feet high round the group, to go to another 
part of the room, and stepping back, we accidentally, and 
very innocently, put the heel of our boot on the toe, as we 
supposed, of some poor unfortunate, and at once, with all 
the grace we could command, stepped back and begged par- 
don, (for is this not always the least we can do ?) and were 
passing on, unconscious of anything but our regret, 
when all around us arose a tremendous laugh, at our ex- 
pense. It was CobbelVs pardon we had been begging ! 
The joke was capital. In his natural position, genuine 
Quaker dress, broad-brimmed hat, and goodnatured ex- 
pression, for all the world he looks a living man. We had 
no idea it was a wax figure, but supposed it was some quiet 
old Quaker, who had sat his weary-with-sight-seeing body 
down to rest, and never should have known the difference, 
perhaps, but for this joke, which all, including ourselves, 
enjoyed quite heartily. His eyes and body also have a 
motion as natural as life, but now seldom move. We were 
afterwards told that some years ago, when there was a box 
of snuff in his right hand, which he would reach out to 
visitors, the following laughable anecdote occurred : 

4 



84 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

A very respectable married lady sat down on the form 
by his side, leisurely admiring the royal family, when the 
gentleman beside her quietly reached out his hand and 
the open box of snuff before her. She responded in a res- 
pectful tone of voice, " No, I thank you, sir." Shortly 
afterwards the hand reached tliQ box of snuff again, and 
she returned the same answer, " No, sir ; no, I thank you ;" 
and the hand as quietly as before withdrew. Presently 
again the hand reached the box to her, when she hastily 
got up, and went to her husband, in another part of the 
room, in considerable agitation, and told him a gentleman 
where she sat down had been very rude to fcer, in asking 
her to take snuff with him, and after she had twice de- 
clined asrain had thrust his box before her face, and seemed 
determined she should take snuff with him, whether she 
would or no. On returning to the person for an explana- 
tion, to know what he meant by the indignity, the choleric 
husband and injured wife enjoyed the laugh, with others 
who had gathered round, and poor Will Cobbett was 
spared from a drubbing, that time. This was a fact. 

The Hall of Kings, being the house of Brunswick, from 
the time of George the First, is filled with as faithful like- 
nesses of the distinguished dead as the other rooms, and 
show the costumes of their times, and the national Orders 
of the G-arter, Bath, &c, as they were originally estab- 
ished and adorned. 

The Golden Chamber, or New Rooms, as they are called ? 
contain a large number of the relics of the great Napoleon ; 
his camp bedstead and equipage, used last at St. Helena ; 
his couch, military cloak and coat, watch, eating service ; 
his atlas, with the plans of the campaigns, particularly the 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 85 

one to Moscow ; his garden chair, in which he often sat, 
and in which we sat ourselves ; the mattress and pillow 
on which he died ; his gold snuff-box, presented to Lucien ; 
glass cases of under-clothing, and numerous presents from 
friends, and the carriage in which he made the celebrated 
campaign to the Russias, captured, it is said, on the eve of 
the battle of Waterloo. This carriage looks as if it might 
be genuine, and is historically known as containing draw- 
ers, and all the necessaries of a cabinet, and where many 
of his bulletins, proclamations, orders, and letters were 
written. In it we took our seat where • he had sat, and 
opened the outward and inward secret spring drawers, and 
leaned on the sliding desk where were written those fiery 
bulletins and dispatches, that once so intensely stirred up 
the nations of Europe, and fairly electrified the whole 
world. We also sat in the carriage that was taken on the 
field of Waterloo after the rout of the French had com- 
menced, and the one he used and last rode in at St. 
Helena. 

Here, too, is a splendid figure of the Imperial Josephine, 
in royal robes ; both the coronation robes worn by her and 
Napoleon, when he crowned her ; three original French 
golden eagles, taken at the battle of Waterloo ; the cradle 
of his son, the king of Rome ; paintings of Josephine and 
Maria Louisa, and others of the Bonaparte family, particu- 
larly his mother, who was a splendid looking woman, be- 
sides a hundred other things that are sacred as connected 
with the memory of that most wonderful man, his career, 
family aud death. These are interesting relics, and as 
doubtless the most of them are genuine, what associations 
they recall ! How are the mighty fallen ! That master 



86 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

genius succumbed to a prison home on barren St. Helena. 
No other could contain him ! A solitary island and a sim- 
ple guard effected what armies and combinations of kings 
could not, on other grounds. How truly his life 

" Shows how an empire grew, declined, and fell ;" 

and that it took " the wrath of gods and men" to tame his 
ambition. 

Attached to this exhibition is what is called a " Chamber 
of Horrors," where are likenesses, figures, busts and heads 5 
of the great hung, and some of the unhung- villains, rob- 
bers, and murderers, that have disgraced and outraged hu- 
manity ; the horrid guillotine of the French Revolution, with 
its knife and paraphernalia, all complete, that decapitated 
Louis XYI. and the lovely and beautiful Maria Antoinette? 
Elizabeth, the sister of Louis XVI. , the Duke of Orleans, 
Robespierre, Danton and others of the best and worst blood 
of France. There is here also a model of Charlotte Corday 
stabbing Marat in his bath, and of the old States Prison, 
the Bastile, where few entered ever again to breathe the 
pure air of this world. And in one of these is shown to us 

the aged Count , who is sitting at the rough-hewn 

board table, on a stool, eating his meal of mouldy bread- 
with mice running over it, and his tin cup of water by his 
side. This venerable and good man was cruelly incarcera- 
ted, without cause, for thirty years, and when taken out 
at the destruction of this horrid place, in 1789, his flesh 
and hair bleached by the long years of his imprisonment, 
finding his property, family, friends and children all gone, 
he begged and cried to be put back again in his dungeon, 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 87 

that he might die in peace. He lived only six weeks after 
being taken out ; and died poor and wretched, of a broken 
heart. The world had changed — he knew it not, and 
could not bear its glitter, its comforts, nor even its light. 

This room is rightly named. No visitor to the Old "World 
should omit seeing this extraordinary museum of Madame 
Tussaud's. It is one of the most lively, interesting places 
to be found in London's great curiosity shop, and we shall 
take the opportunity of going there again if possible. 

We need not tell you that we found our beds at twelve 
o'clock at night very pleasant to our weary bodies after 
the fatigues of this day. One more such would lay us up 
for a week. The visitor should take at least two days for 
Windsor and one for Tussaud's. To-morrow we want to 
visit Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, and 
then to take a stroll and carriage ride through St. James's 
Park and Hyde Park, all of which we will describe to you 
as faithfully as we can when we write again. 

With the distribution of our love, &c. to all, good- 
by for the present. 



LETTER No. VI. 

London, England, July Zlst, 1857. 
Dear Brother Charles : 

Resuming the course of our narrative at where we left off 
when closing our last to S., the next morning, after rather 
a late breakfast, found us at St. Paul's Church-yard boat 
station ; and taking our passage on one of the numberless 
little steamboats, we proceeded to "Westminster Bridge, in 
our way passing beneath Blackfriars and Waterloo Bridges — 
fine specimens of stone-masonry, that looked as enduring 
as the granite of which they are constructed. The latter 
bridge is the finest specimen of the art we have ever seen, 
and is certainly the best over the Thames. One looks upon 
this structure with not a little admiration. 

On the right hand side of the river, going up, we pass 
Somerset House, a noble pile of buildings, one of the most 
magnificent of London. The grand front, which is toward 
the Strand, a leading thoroughfare, parallel with the 
Thames, is supported by Corinthian columns and adorned 
in alto-relievo, with emblematic figures of the ocean, the 
principal rivers of England, statues of Justice, Truth, 
Valor and Moderation, and the Grenius of Britain. The 
terraced side, towards the river, is supported by arches ; a 
huge figure, emblematic of the Thames, stands, or rather 



90 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

is seated there. The palace covers five hundred by six 
hundred feet of ground, having a court in the centre, and 
is proportionately lofty. The windows, cornice, friezes, &c. 
are excellent specimens of Italian architecture. The 
building is now occupied by the Revenue Department of 
the Government. 

Having reached our landing, we ascend from the river 
by a flight of stone steps, deeply indented and foot- worn 
by the millions upon millions that have walked up and 
down them, and we are at once beneath the shade of the 
new Houses of Parliament ; a magnificent pile of orna- 
mental work in stone, that seems to have no end to its 
commencement ; yet it is beautiful and presents a very 
pleasing appearance to the eye. The Victoria Tower is a 
tower of strength, as well as of great beauty, and seems 
to loom into the blue of heaven as one stands in the street 
and looks up at it. The gilding is now being commenced, 
or rather just beginning to show, and when complete it 
will be gorgeous in the extreme. The faces of the great 
clock are not yet uncovered, except partly on one side, just 
being completed ; when finished it will be quite a remarka- 
ble piece of work, and the time will be visible from all parts 
of this great city. Large numbers of men are now em- 
ployed at work on the tower, but, as with all public works, 
the labor does not go far nor very rapidly to completion- 
The pay is too good. About £3,000,000 sterling or 
$15,000,000, have already been expended and it will take 
some millions of dollars more, to finish all. 

The stone-cutting is elaborate and elegant — beyond com- 
parison with any building we know of, because unlike any 
that we have ever seen in America or England. Yet we 






NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 91 

think we have seen more truly beautiful buildings. To 
the eye admiring true beauty in architecture, our new 
Houses of Congress when complete will be more chaste and 
beautiful by far, though costing scarcely one-eighth as 
much as the new Parliament Houses. 

The enormous bell, not yet raised into the tower as- 
signed for it, is, next to the great bell of Moscow, the 
largest in the world, and is well worth a visit. The ma- 
chinery, timber, &o., that will be necessary to raise it to 
its destination would suffice for a large building of itself. 

The principal entrance to the grand vestibule and new 
House of Commons and the Chamber of the Peers is very 
effective, spacious, and chastely beautiful. The arches and 
niches are colossal. The statuary is among the finest we 
have seen, and Chatham, Pitt, Walpole, Wilberforce, Lord 
Mansfield and several others equally distinguished, whose 
voices in olden time thundered within the old walls of Par- 
liament, now mouldering with England's great dead, stand 
out here in such living reality as almost to command you 
to " listen while we speak." They are astonishingly and 
admirably, if we may so pile adjective on adjective, attrac- 
tive and imposing. The very men are there in living char- 
acter, — the clothes they wore, the look they bore, their 
gesture and action ; the whole animated man, as you 
would like to look upon him and as he was, is reproduced 
in marble, and only needs breathing the breath of life into 
the lips to animate him, and to see the man step bodily 
down from his pedestal and once again tread these halls 
and make the arches of these noble chambers echo with 
his clarion notes. 

Entering the grand vestibule, at first it appears toodark ? 

4# 



92 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

but the light gradually strengthens the longer you linger, 
heightening the effect of the lofty arch, and relieving the 
exquisite work with surprising effect. On the left you 
pass to the House of Commons, which cannot be entered 
during the session of the House without a member's auto- 
graph ; and having procured one, you are at once ushered 
into the stranger's gallery by one of the ever-polite police 
of the country, very neatly uniformed, and always to be 
seen when and where wanted. The stair-case is of stone, 
gentle of ascent, broad, airy and well lighted. The gal- 
lery is comfortable, though not large, and the seats covered 
with green morocco leather and well stuffed. 

The " Public Health Bill " was before the House,— the 
attendance of members not more than one quarter of the 
whole number. Sir Greorge Grey, the honorable Under- 
Secretary of the Home Department, was addressing the 
Chair. The Speaker sits under a canopy of oak nearly in 
the centre of the House with his head covered with the 
venerable looking old wig, still clung to as one of the 
ornaments of the ages past, we suppose. In front of the 
Speaker sit the two principal clerks, also under curled wigs 
of grey, though their features betoken but few of the signs 
of age. But to return to the honorable Under-Secretary, 
who was speaking on the merits of the bill in discussion. 
He is in stature and personal appearance not unlike the 
great commoner of our country, the world-renowned Hen- 
ry Clay, and is one of the leading and popular members 
of the House on the Government side — a pleasant speaker 
with a clear and distinct utterance, and rapid command of 
language. Mr. Gladstone, Lord Ebrington, Mr. D'Israeli, 
and others, were speakers, in a rather amusing and running 



! 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 93 

debate of ordinary interest. The principal sittings and 
great debates are in the evening, when, we think, all hon- 
est folk should be courting the god Morpheus. The House 
is usually then well attended, but it was too inconvenient 
for us to stay. 

The hall is not very large, nor finished with any degree 
of extravagance, though it is what we admire : neatly 
plain and paneled in oak — the whole presenting an air of 
solidity and firmness that looks as if it was not built to be 
renewed to-morrow. The inner arrangement is altogether 
different from our present House of Representatives, there 
being no desks, and the seats in long cushioned benches 
where the members sit as boys on a form in school. The 
noise of the two Houses is about the same. The divisions 
of the House and voting are by going out of the House and 
coming in on the right or left side, according as the mem- 
ber votes aye or no, passing between and being counted by 
appointed tellers, on returning through the entering aisles. 
Members sit with their hats on, and only remove them 
when they rise to the motion, or address the Chair and 
House. The hum of talking and buzz of whispering are 
quite as disagreeable to the hearer as in our rowdy House 
of Representatives, and only unlike it in that there is no 
whittling or filthy tobacco-spitting in it, making a stable of 
the floor and aisles. The voice does not reverberate here, 
but the intonation is always uniform and easy, and the 
ventilation is agreeable and refreshing. 

On the right of the Central Hall and vestibule is the en- 
trance to the House of Lords, the magnificent chamber of 
the Peers of the realm, open only to visitors on Wednes- 
days and Saturdays ; but by special privilege (pronounce 



94 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

that word special without the last two letters) we were 
conducted through a side gallery to the private entrance of 
the Lords, through the glass door of which we had a very 
good view of the throne and the great chandelier, the for- 
mer being as beautiful as it is grandly decorated, and the 
whole room, so far as we could hastily see, superb and 
magnificent in all its parts. All that lavished wealth can 
do to make a noble and grand place has been done, and 
the artists executing the work have brought into requisi- 
tion bright colors, gilding, the most highly polished mar- 
bles, and enamel and beautiful stained glass in rich profu- 
sion. Sculpture of noble lions and unicorns, crowns, scep- 
ters and shields, wreaths of flowers and leaves of England's 
oak adorn the walls, ceilings and cornices, and the whole 
is truly gorgeous and sparkling with great beauty. The 
windows and doors, so far as we could see, were true spe- 
cimens of refined architecture. The main entrance is 
guarded, in addition to the heavy doors, by a splendid pair 
of gates constructed of brass, weighing about two tons 
each. 

Several of the committee rooms being open to the pub- 
lic, we entered some of them. Most of them are on the 
throne side, and those we saw were splendidly furnished and 
adorned, with historical and other paintings of great value 
and extraordinary finish, worth close attention, and would 
richly repay one for hours of study. There are large num- 
bers of niches for statuary in the aisles and entrances not 
yet filled; also panels to be filled with paintings in most 
of the committee rooms, vestibules and stairways. There 
is also an extensive gallery, to be exquisitely finished, ex- 
clusively for historical paintings, by the great masters of 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 95 

England. The extensive library and rooms we had not 
time to visit properly, and did not go into them, nor into 
the splendid rooms of the Chancery and higher law courts. 
Connected also with the House of Commons are extensive 
kitchens ; and if we mistake not, there are a number of 
suitable rooms, where members can entertain their friends 
and give private suppers and dinners. 

Leaving this great pile of grandeur, we crossed the 
street, and were at once at the side entrance, known far 
and wide as the Poet's Corner of Westminister Abbey — that 
familiar, yet revered old Abbey — so widely known and cele- 
brated among civilized people of every tongue and nation. 

This venerable and sacred edifice, renowned in prose 
and verse, honored by sweet song — 

" The bliss of poets and the praise of saints," 

which we have longed to see as far back almost as we can re- 
member, and of which we have so often read so much in won- 
der and delight, now rises and towers before our vision in all 
its beauty and ancient grandeur and magnificence. No, it 
is not a dream ; it stands before us — aged, begrimed, moss- 
grown, towering and majestic, though in some places moul- 
dering and crumbling beneath the great hammerings of 
Time. Here, where Jmce stood the Temple of Apollo, and 
music, poetry and the sciences were honored and adored — 
here rises, in the sublimity of architecture, man's noble 
work, a temple for the service and glory of the living G-od. 
Many of the most illustrious dead of Britain are interred 
here, and here too all the Kings and Q,ueens are or have 
been formally invested with the powers of the crown and 
government, from the time of William the Conqueror till 



96 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

now. The outward appearance presents a variety of light 
and shade, the old parts, including the cloisters and 
monks' dungeons, comparing darkly enough with the newer 
portions, which are as light and airy as the finest modern 
palaces. 

Entering and passing through and around, you view a 
succession of narrow tomhs where lie crumbling and crum- 
bled into dust the most distinguished dead, from the Con- 
queror to the present day — long rows, even tiers of kings, 
queens, princes, princesses, dukes, duchesses, lords, gene- 
rals, admirals, bishops, cardinals, ladies, &c, &c.,' — monu- 
ments of marble and bronze, alabaster and iron, and nu- 
merous chapels built as special depositories for royal fami- 
lies and pious devotees — from William Rums down. 

The multitude of beautiful sculptures and cenotaphs re- 
presenting naval and military scenes and engagements and 
civic triumphs, in which the heroes they commemo- 
rate, took part — the many exquisitely chiseled monuments 
and inscriptions to individuals of high moral and Christian 
integrity and worth — the scores of tablets, and full length 
carved marble and wrought iron and bronze figures of 
kings lying in state, encased in full armor of their times, 
with their queens in full dress beside them, and of cele- 
brated knights and squires and warriors, with their ladies — 
the vast number of standing figures, half figures, busts 
and heads with the plain marble tablets and inscriptions ; 
all are well calculated to impress one with deep veneration 
and awe. The truth forces itself upon us that we are in 
a world where there are more dead than living ; and in the 
midst of the decay and dust of ages we feel our own insig- 
nificance. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 97 

And now we cast our eyes upward, one hundred feet, to 
the noble arched ceiling, and then down an aisle over three 
hundred feet in length ! On our left. hand lies the tomb of 
Edward the First, of heavy blocks of porphyry and granite? 
six hundred years old, and still as well preserved as any tomb 
in the Abbey. It was opened a few years ago, out of cu- 
riosity, when the body and features were found entire, and 
in excellent preservation, but as soon as the air penetrated 
it, it crumbled forever—" faded like the baseless fabric of 
of a vision." Near by it is the tomb of Edward the Con- 
fessor, an upright obeliscal monument, formerly of consi- 
derable magnificence, being inlaid with gold, but now very 
little of it can be distinguished by the closest examination, 
visitors having, from age to age, picked it out, and carried 
it away for relics and souvenirs. The chair of state he 
once occupied is also here — an old time-honored relic, and 
as rough as it is aged and venerable. In this chair Queen 
Victoria was crowned, and invested with the sceptre of her 
royal authority, as were all her predecessors. The tombs 
of Edward the Third and Mary Queen of Scotts, are very 
chaste and beautiful, and will endure for ages and ages yet 
to come, undiminished, and none the less impressive. 

An accurate and adequate sketch of Westminster Abbey, 
would fill pages, even a volume, of the deepest interest, and 
none but the pen of a ready writer can half do justice to 
it. In our wanderings through the old cloisters, and 
amidst the tombs, the oldest inscriptions we were able to 
decipher were dated 1011 and 1082; the names and other 
parts of the insculpture having been worn out by passing 
feet, and faded away for ever, ages ago. 



98 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

In the Cathedral, and its attached religious houses and 
former cloisters, are various old crypts, passage-ways, cells, 
dungeons, and vaulted chambers, in which no human foot- 
step has resounded for long gone years, and where visitors 
are not allowed to go. These old places are marked by 
dampness, decay, and mouldering ruin, and much need 
repair, as do some portions of the main walls, cornices, tur- 
rets, and spires. We noticed, however, that where resto- 
ration has been commenced, the original is strictly adhered 
to, and when complete looks as beautiful and new as when 
first finished. 

"We left the old Abbey with a feeling of deep regret that 
our visit to this sacred and interesting structure, was ne- 
cessarily so short. We would willingly have devoted days, 
instead of the few hours we spent there, had we been able 
to command sufficient strength and time ; but as we had 
not either, we bade a long and fond adieu to this dear and 
venerated edifice, consecrated by time, by numberless asso- 
ciations with events of deep interest, and by the memen- 
toes and ashes of so many of the illustrious dead — hoary 
and sacred with honorable associations, both in Catholic 
and Protestant reigns ; loved and venerated at home, and 
respected where ever the English language is read. We un- 
conciously retained our hat in our hand, till over the outer 
threshold, and into the air of this world again ; for it 
seemed as if we had for a time been in the vestibule of the 
other world, if not in its most sacred precinofcs. We again 
looked up and down, and around us, and then behind to 
the closed door, and in our heart bade the Abbey adieu 
— while the impressive though quaint words of an old poet 
occurred to our mind, imbued as we were with a feeling of 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 99 

solemnity and veneration by the scenes amidst which we 
had just been wandering : 

" Mortality, behold and fear ! 
What a charge of flesh is here ! 
Think how many royal bones 
Sleep within these heaps of stones ; 
Here's an acre sown indeed, 
With the richest royal seed ; 
Here are wands, ignoble things, 
Drop't from the ruin'd sides of kings ; 
Here's a world of pomp and state, 
Buried in dust, once dead by fate." 

But memory recalls the impressive truth, where'er we 
roam, that 

" These are the annals of the human race— - 
Their ruins since the world began, 
Entailed by sin through God's first man." 

And man never has, and never can, if he presumptuously 
would, reverse the heaven-born, irrevocable decree : 

11 Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust !" 

Finding ourselves once more in Parliament-street, we 
took an open carriage and drove our way through St. 
James' Park, rilled with wide-spreading and noble old oaks 
and elms that may have stood a thousand years, with a 
beautiful sheet of water in its centre, by her Majesty's 
town residence, Buckingham Palace, which in our humble 
way of thinking, is a very beautiful as well as substantial 
looking building, though many English people say it is not 



100 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

fit for her Majesty to reside in ; indeed some go so far as 
to call it shabby ! It is a modern palace, and certainly to 
all appearance outside, is a very superior structure, and 
magnificent enough in all its dimensions even for royalty 
to inhabit. "We never heard that the Queen complains of 
it. *It is surrounded by a splendid iron railing, with hand- 
some lofty arched gateways, and now guarded by some of 
the grenadiers, who are splendidly uniformed, and usually 
large, trim and athletic men. The view of St. James' 
Park and the Green Park is always unbroken and very 
cheerful and fine. Not having taken the trouble to pro- 
cure tickets for admission we did not go inside. 

From here we drove on through Hyde Park, one of the 
great " Lungs of London," and here amidst fresh verdure 
and lofty trees, the people can partially, at least, inhale 
heaven's atmosphere in something like its native purity. 
Around these parks are many of the finest residences of the 
" West End," the fashionable part of the city, and num- 
bers of them are palatial indeed. 

St. James' Palace is an old but still a fine looking build- 
ing, perhaps more so in our eyes, because of its being so 
long celebrated for its universal cognomen and associations 
as the original of the " Court of St. James " — so also the 
"War Office, the Horse Gruards and the banqueting house, 
Whitehall (opposite which Charles the First was be- 
headed,) the Treasury buildings, and several others. 

The Duke of York's column, circular and massive, tow- 
ering 140 feet into the air, and surmounted by his noble 
statue, is a proud testimonial to his virtue and public ser- 
vices. Trafalgar square, Regent-street and Regent Circus 
are well built, and present successive massive fronts that 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 



101 



are much admired and give one a good idea of the solidity 
and of the greatness of London. The Nelson monument in 
Trafalgar square is a very chaste and elegant affair, and 
you admire its proportions with full satisfaction. It is an 
honored and honorable column erected by the love of a 
grateful people who revere the name of Nelson, 

" Who trod the ways of Glory, 

And sounded all the depths and shoals of fame," 

and will live in the hearts of the people while memory 
lasts. 

Why have we no such memorials of our nation's heroes 
in Washington, or in the commercial metropolis — New- 
York ? That we have not, seemed to us a strange and 
humiliating fact ; however, we hope another half century 
will improve our people's taste in this respect, and that our 
great cities as well as the legislative Capitol of the nation 
will have many of these noble witnesses attesting to the 
virtues of our great dead that we may point the stranger 
to with pride. 

Proceeding on our way, we drove through Regent's Park, 
the great park of London, and it is magnificent in all its 
proportions. Alone, it will accommodate the city's vast 
population ; and thousands, and at times tens of thousands, 
daily breathe and walk and run beneath its delicious and 
refreshing shades. Here the cares and sorrows of life are 
softened, griefs assuaged, secret wounds soothed, deep ha- 
treds cooled, and men's overworked brains and bodies are 
refreshed and invigorated. 

Here too is the largest Zoological Garden in the empire, 



102 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

and every variety of animal, bird and reptile that can be 
acclimated and kept, is to be found. Among these we 
must enumerate the beautiful white Polar bears, luxuria- 
ting in artificial ponds of cool water ; our own American 
black bruins, with their mouths ever open for nuts and 
sweet meats, not refusing the children's ever popular gin- 
gerbread ; and the finest collection of lions, tigers, leopards 
and panthers ever before brought together for exhibition. 
The monkeys are of every known variety — and what a 
variety ! with their endless tricks and grimaces, always 
attracting and interesting a crowd. There are elephants, 
rhinoceri, cameleopards, zebras, giraffes, several new 
species of animals from South America, camels, dromeda- 
ries ; a great variety of the eagle, condors, vultures, &c, 
&c, making it in all a place of great interest and a school 
invaluable to children, both old and young. "We must 
note that our dear little Greorgie invested a penny for an 
airing on the back of one of the dromedaries, to his great 
amusement, and without hesitation or the slightest fear 
rode around quite a large grass plat, the bystanders as 
much pleased as himself, and exclaiming on all sides, " See 
| the little American boy !" By the way, he is always quite 
attractive of public attention, and known as an American 
everywhere from his dress. Saturday, however, is the 
best time to visit this place, as then the band of the First 
Life Guards plays for the entertainment of the visitors to 
the gardens. A day can at any time be spent here with 
great delight and profit, and you are always sure to be free 
from the annoyance of a crowd, as there is an abundance 
of room. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 103 

Returning to our lodgings, the day being well nigh gone, 
we made our way through Oxford street, drove by the Bri- 
tish Museum, and the Colisseum, thence to] Drury Lane — 
a place not unknown to fame — into Fleet street, down by 
the Old Bailey, into Newgate street, and through St. Paul's 
Church-yard, Cannon street and Queen street, home. 

Having refreshed ourselves by our tea, we knew that a 
better evening's entertainment could not be found than 
at the Surrey Gardens, listening to the wonderful musical 
combinations of the renowned Julien, and, on this occasion, 
his orchestra of six hundred performers. Thither we went, 
and enjoyed a feast such as we never enjoyed before ; and 
the gardens were thronged, there being at least ten thou« 
sand persons present. It was a benefit night for Mrs. Sea- 
cole, a colored lady who performed real prodigies of labor 
and self-sacrifice, in connection with England's beloved 
Miss Florence Nightingale, in relieving the sick and 
wounded in the pestiferous hospitals at Scutari, and in the 
Crimea, during the late war. The enthusiasm was quite 
unboundod, real Anglo-Saxon, of an unexampled character 
to us, and the good-natured and good-looking middle-aged 
lady received a bumper. The whole affair was a feast of 
reason and a genuine flow of soul ! The music was grand, 
and its voluptuous sounds rolled out over that assembled 
multitude, with great effect. Every part was perfect, and 
in the grand military quadrilles, marches, &c, eleven 
military bands, detailed from as many regiments of the 
army to be present on this special occasion, ( Mrs. Seacole 
being almost as popular in the army, and at the Horse 
Guards, as Miss Nightingale), helped to swell the loud 
but melodious strains. The power of music filled that 



104 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

immense hall with such a swell of stirring sound and har- 
mony, as mortals seldom hear. The brazen trump and 
spirit-stirring drum ; the shrill fife and silver-noted flute ; 
the tingling harp and hoarse bassoon ; the twanging viols 
and mellow horn ; the soft clarionet and jarring cymbal — all 
combined gave such thrilling notes and sweet cadences, 
such martial and melting airs, as we never imagined, and 
could not have comprehended the effect and power of, with- 
out hearing. The finale of Rule Britannia and God Save 
the Queen, (national airs and anthems always close con- 
certs here, and we think it a beautiful custom, that it 
would show good taste in us to imitate), were soul-stirring 
in the extreme. That immense audience standing, with 
heads uncovered, and those majestic, and surpassingly 
sweet strains, with not a jar of the slightest discord in the 
whole six hundred instruments, filled every heart with an 
unbounded glow of enthusiasm. "We too felt a glow 
of pride that this was a genuine outflow of Anglo- Saxonism, 
in acknowledgment of true merit, though the subject of it 
was a colored woman ; and we loved our race more than ever 
before, and felt in our inmost soul that though an ocean of 
water separates us and our countries and nations, an ocean 
of blood unites us in indissoluble bonds of sympathy, 
thought, and feeling. We have a common language, and 
a common religion, as well as a common destiny. The 
power, the beauty, and the majesty of reason, should bind 
us together, and that it ever hereafter will, we would fain 
hope and trust none but the foolish and narrow-minded 
will deny. Every soul there seemed good-natured ; plea- 
sure beamed from every countenance, and we certainly 
left the Grarden as well pleased with ourselves, and with all 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 105 

we had seen and heard, as ever we were in our lives. Oh ! 
what a charm to soothe has soft music ! The rolls and 
sweet swells of that symphony, still reverberate delicious 
harmony in our ears, and we shall never, never, forget them. 
The following morning we took our way to Islington 
Cattle Market, to see some of the provision for London's 
myriads of stomachs. This is one of the best of the many 
markets of England, containing several acres of ground, 
handsomely graded and paved, and divided off into an im- 
mense number of pens, for cattle and sheep, with large 
sheds for calves and pigs, the whole surrounded by a beau- 
tiful and most substantial iron fence, with bastions of brick 
at the four corners, and fine arched gateways. In the 
centre of the Market is a pretty brick building, in Tudor 
style, of octagonal form, used as a station for the superin- 
tendent and clerks, and having several brokers' offices in 
it, for the convenience of dealers. 

That morning there were in market about seven thou- 
sand cattle, eleven thousand sheep, one thousand calves, 
and one thousand two hundred pigs ; yet one of the clerks 
told us it was a bare day. The great market day is 
on Tuesday ; and on the Tuesday morning previous there 
were in the pens for sale, the, to us, astonishing number of 
eleven thousand cattle, twenty-seven thousand sheep, two 
thousand calves, and as many pigs ; and this, we were told, 
is about the usual number on that day of the week the 
year round ! 

The prices have certainly attracted our attention — we 
thought them quite enormous. Cattle were sold from 
fifteen to thirty guineas each, sheep from two to three guin- 
eas each, and calves and pigs in proportion. Farmers, as- 



106 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

suredly, ought not to complain here — they get remunei> 
ating prices for all their produce. Seventy-five to one 
hundred and fifty dollars for a fat bullock, or ox, and ten 
to eighteen dollars for lambs and sheep, is a good price for 
meat by the gross. Every part of the grounds was in 
prime order, and all the business seemed to be conducted 
in an expeditious and equitable manner. All questions of 
dispute are settled by arbitration, or reference to custom, 
and for every article bought the cash is paid before the ani- 
mals are driven from the pens. 

Returning by rail into the city, we were quite early 
enough for Covent Garden Market. Here are displayed 
vegetables, fruits and flowers of all kinds in great perfec- 
tion — not surpassing, however, St. John's Market at Liv- 
erpool, where we saw the finest display of garden vegeta- 
bles and some kinds of table fruit we ever beheld. There 
were strawberries there larger than the largest hen's eggs, 
We thought we had seen strawberries in America, but 
these took the palm ; and our eyes were not deceived, for 
they were really enormous, and as delicately flavored as 
they were large in size. Peaches, nectarines, apricots 
and cherries, currants, grapes and gooseberries, were also 
in great perfection. Pears and apples were very small 
comparatively, and in these, as in peaches, for flavor; if 
not size, our country must always surpass them. The 
cherries were beautiful and are unsurpassed in size and 
delicacy of flavor, the climate being perfectly adapted to 
this kind of fruit. It will be borne in mind, however, that 
much of the choice fruit here is carefully nurtured and 
grown in hot-houses. The prices of all kinds of fruit are 
considerably higher than with us. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 107 

Taking the first train for the " Crystal Palace," we 
spent the day at Sydenham. This is about eight miles 
from London Bridge station : being the highest ground 
about London, and the most eligible situation that could 
have been chosen for it. The surface elevation at its high- 
est point is about three hundred feet above the level of the 
plain, and imagination cannot picture a more pleasing and 
diversified landscape. The great city, London, in the 
range of vision, with its many embowered suburbs, and 
the pleasing variety of hill and dale, woodland and plain, 
garden and lawn, variegated with sweet light and soft 
shade as far as the eye can see, make it a place of almost 
incomparable beauty and loveliness, aside from the attrac- 
tions of the Palace. 

But the Palace. Here all that art and science can do 
has been or is being done. Every age and clime have 
poured in their contributions to adorn it and the grounds, 
and when nature, with a few more years of time, shall 
have improved the stature and verdure of her outward 
adornings, an enchanting and fairy-like scene will strike 
the beholder with unbounded admiration and sweet sur- 
prise, and he will exclaim in the fullness of his heart, 

" And oh ! if there be an Elysium on earth, 
It is this, it is this !" 

Every glade, every mound, every terrace, every espla- 
nade, every bower ; the artificial hills, vales, ravines and 
ponds ; the wondrous fountains, great and small ; the flow- 
ing rivulets and leaping and dashing cascades ; the beauti- 
ful parterres and great vases of flowers, so uniquely ar- 

5 



108 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

ranged and charmingly fresh along the grand terraces, 
wherever they ought to be and never where they ought not 
to be — all combined present a truly magnificent scene, 
and one feels the most perfect satisfaction and glow 
of delight in looking upon and walking amidst so much 
beauty. The walks are of the finest gravel, rolled hard 
as iron ; the descents from terrace to terrace by broad and 
elegant flights of stone steps. The grass plats have that 
smooth and velvet softness you nowhere else see except in 
England. 

But we enter the Palace, and now the eye beholds, on 
every side, in every nave and aisle, from foundation to 
loftiest dome, wonders and beauties unceasing. It would 
take volumes to describe all the sights intelligibly, if pen 
could do it at all. Certainly no description yet extant will 
give the faintest true conception of this noble colisseum 
(if we may use the expression) of the wonders of every age 
and the beautiful of all times. 

Here are the first buds, blossoms, and full blown roses of 
the rare and curious, chaste and beautiful, of ancient and 
modern art — of fabulous times, and the times that have 
tried men's souls. Here is statuary of every age — huge 
Egyptian, Babylonish, and exhumed Nineveh's colossal 
figures — so enormous that man looks a pigmy beside them 
— to the most delicate articles of vertu, the choicest pro- 
ductions of Italia's gifted artists. Around us we see the 
great and good and noble men and women that have lived 
in all ages — full lengths and busts ; some on pedestals, 
others on proud steeds ; orators, gladiators, statesmen, 
kings — in every form and position in which they can 
be placed, in exemplification of the calling, condition, 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 109 

or position, in which they moved and acted in their several 
great parts in the drama of life. Then there are allegorical 
scenes and representations in profusion. This collection is 
as vast and rare as it is beautiful. The great practical 
object — to give every visitor a clear and comprehensive 
view, at a glance, of the sculpture and architecture of 
every age — has been carefully studied, and has been ac- 
complished with wondrous effect. Everything is in its 
order, and no discord offends the eye or disturbs the har- 
mony of the whole. 

In the various courts are to be seen Egyptian, Assyrian, 
Byzantian, Greek, Roman, Moorish, G-erman, English, 
Mediaeval, Italian, and all the more modern specimens and 
styles of architecture, — nowhere else to be seen collected 
in successive groups, chronologically, as they have arisen 
in the progress of the world's history, running through a 
period of near four thousand years ! And what variety, 
what changes we behold ! How extraordinary and mar- 
velously beautiful are some of the oldest styles ! 

The Assyrian Court and the Alhambra are the most 
beautiful, notwithstanding the different ages in which their 
styles were originated, and perfected. The latter is en- 
chantment. The enduring color of the exhumed columns 
and marbles, copied from the palace of Sennacherib, are as 
clear and perfect as when built, about 700 years before 
Christ. 

The splendor and richness of the decorations of the 
Alhambra, the almost marvelous combinations of colors, 
the light arabesque work in colored stucco, the peculiarly 
soft and mellow and most wonderful effects of light and 
shade ; the beautiful, not to say unrivaled, fountains in the 



110 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

inner courts, the fine mosaic pavement, and admirable ar- 
rangement of flowers, emitting an aroma of most delicate 
perfume, — all combine to make a most lovely, almost be- 
witching spot. The whole is here — a perfect copy (brought 
from the south of Spain) of the original Alhambra, which 
has been made of world-wide celebrity by the graphic pen 
of our own dear writer, Washington Irving. The artistic 
skill and taste of the Moors must have been exquisite in 
the extreme. "We can only dream of such sweet combi- 
nations of beauty. 

Every court, gallery, and transept here has its own at- 
tractions ; but time would fail us to tell of half that is to 
be seen in this magnificent and marvelous temple of iron 
and glass. 

The picture-gallery, in the north end transept and wing, 
must be seen to be enjoyed. The specimens of art and 
genius, by British, Grerman, French, and Italian masters, 
are many of them transcendently beautiful. Here were 
gems that we could have spent a week looking at, with 
pure delight. 

The rooms devoted to agriculture and machinery, the 
court of kings, the botanical department, very beautifully 
displayed, and the galleries of manufactured articles, of 
every useful as well as ornamental kind, we have not space 
to notice, and we must pass them by, as each would make 
a chapter too long for us to write. 

The grand concert of the afternoon was a great attrac- 
tion, taking into consideration the lateness of the " season" 
— fashion and beauty having their " season" here, as well 
as the migratory songsters of the wood. Still there were 
large numbers of the beauty and fashion of London present, 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. Ill 

and we had a good opportunity of seeing the clear and soft 
complexion and fine development of English ladies. We 
quite coincided with the generally conceded opinion that 
their skin and complexion are incomparable, among 
the strictly higher classes, but for real beauty, a display 
of ladies, in the season, at the Academy of Music in New- 
York, cannot be surpassed, even in England, or at least 
was not on this occasion. And this by no means detracts 
from the beauty of English women, which we admired 
there with great satisfaction. 

The Crystal Palace orchestra is a very fine . one, and 
good music by them may be heard every afternoon. On 
this occasion, the celebrated Grrisi and Mario both sang, in 
their sweetest strains, and were loudly encored. The sing- 
ing and choruses were charming. 

Englishmen may well be proud of the Sydenham Palace. 
It is the finest place we have seen in England, and cannot 
be excelled, we should think, by any in the world. "What 
a delightful resort, to soothe and gladden the hearts 
of the weary millions of London ! Here recreation and 
cultivation of intellect go hand in hand, and children of 
sorrow, misanthropes, and pleasure-seekers, may court and 
find the solace of their hearts' troubles. And here, how 
much in history, geography, geology, botany, &c, may be 
learned ! Not the least charming sight is the pre-adamite 
formations and animals, in one corner of the grounds, 
so arranged and displayed that you look upon nature itself. 
Great ingenuity has been displayed and developed here ; 
the huge monsters of earth and sea, that existed pre- 
vious to the days of man, are arranged in such perfection 
that you fancy earth as it was before Grod created His no- 



112 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

blest work, and see these masters of His creation crawl- 
ing forth from their rocky caverns and watery play-rooms. 
It is a remarkable display, arranged with the accuracy of 
nature, and you look with wonder at the various life-like 
leviathan monsters. 

The formations of the different strata of rocks, clays, 
veins of coal, iron, lead, and other metals, are perfect, and 
exceedingly interesting and instructive. 

We lingered here till dark, and bade adieu to the Palace 
and grounds with great reluctance, but shall visit them 
again. "With remembrances to all, as usual, adieu. 



LETTER No. VII. 

London, England, August 25th, 1857. 

My Dear Father F*^ ## ; 

"We will direct this to you, though we have determined 
to devote the subject-matter of the letter to London, its 
immensity, business, population, manufactures, docks, 
buildings, and matters and things in general, so far as we 
have been able to see and form any opinion, that may be 
called tangible or correct ; for we do not, and shall not, 
write of what we do not see ; we shall " nothing extenu- 
ate, nor set down aught in malice," nor from imagination, 
but write only of what we see and know. 

Truly we have before us a magnificent and wonderful 
panorama ! From a lofty height, like the dome of St. 
Paul's Cathedral, in a very clear morning, you look upon 
what may not unappropriated be called an ocean of houses. 
The eye cannot discern the confines of this vast sea of 
buildings, even in the clearest day, such is the immense 
cloud of smoke that always hovers over the city — at least 
during the day. And this sea of buildings is of every 
hue and variety, from the most squalid hovel and rickety 
stall to the majestic colonnades, terraces and palaces. 

The variety of architecture, of almost every age, — pic- 
turesque, quaint, mediaeval, and modern — the lofty ware- 



114 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

houses, that look as if they had stood a thousand years, 
begrimed with London smoke, — the old embattled church- 
es, some with towers, and some with lofty, airy spires, 
standing like sentinels, or like solemn monitors, ad- 
monishing the multitude so enthusiastically and de- 
terminedly plodding, not for the " almighty dollar," but 
for the mightier sovereign, that men and women have souls 
as well as "pounds of flesh," and that there are interests 
eternal as well as earthly, that require attention — the 
princely dome, the beggar's garret, and the proud arcade — 
the lanes, alleys, narrow and winding streets, broad roads, 
far- stretching avenues, great parks, fields, courts, gardens, 
and squares — the serpentine Thames, like a monstrous 
sewer, as it really is, winding its snake-like course through 
the centre of the city, spanned by its seven magnificent 
bridges of iron and stone, and alive with its multitude of 
small boats, from the little light wherry to the almost light- 
ning-sped crowded steamers, that dart up and down with 
their loads of comers and goers, with a rapidity that is 
quite remarkable — the endless moving throng of people, 
from lily-white to darkest shade, from every kindred, 
tongue, and tribe, from the uttermost parts of the earth, 
and the most distant isles of the sea — the immense num- 
bers of vehicles, of every variety, shape and fashion, that 
ever have been invented and used, from the days of 
Adam till now, and drawn by men, dogs, donkeys, goats, 
Shetland and Welsh ponies, and by horses, English, Amer- 
ican, and Arabian — the full-blooded and the great elephant- 
like London dray horses, that nowhere can be seen but 
in this metropolis— fashion and famine, pampered and 
powdered flunkeys, squalid poverty and rags, gold and 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 115 

glitter and splendor — all this, and much more, combines 
to make a London. 

Aye, those London draught horses are monsters, and as 
Shakspeare has placed them with those 

" Long-hoof <J, short-jointed, fetlocks shag and long, 

Broad breast, full eyes, small head, and nostril wide, 
High crest, short ears, straight legs, and passing strong, 
Thin mane, thick tail, broad buttocks, tender hide," 

before us, we will only add, that we never realized their 
size and massiveness till now. Our largest Pennsylvania 
houses, and those used between Albany and Buffalo, in days 
not long gone by, and such as may now be seen on the 
Cumberland Road, out of Baltimore, though large horses, 
cannot compare with these huge creatures, many of them 
beautifully formed, and always fat and sleek. It is said 
that the brewers' horses here are daily given their mug 
of beer or porter, the same as their drivers, and that we 
heard some give as one reason why they are so large and 
powerful. Truly you must " stand from under" when one 
of these great wagons, loaded with from five to six tons, 
drawn by six of these elephant horses, in tandem, comes 
thundering along with its mountain-topped load of boxes 
and bales. They are apparently as irresistible as a loco- 
motive and train at full speed. We thought we had seen 
heavy dray horses in New- York and Boston, but those of 
London beat the world ; and they are well made, clean 
limbed, and always beautifully groomed. 

Before some of the carriages we see some very fine ani- 
mals, but not surpassing the carriage horses of our country. 
Many of the finest horses here are American, and it is well 

5* 



116 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

known that Louis Napoleon imports from our country 
some of his best carriage horses, and has, within the last 
month, received, by steamer, a pair of splendid matched 
bays. We have seen but two of the "thorough bred" 
English hunters, but those were very fine animals in- 
deed. 

The carriages, carts and wagons are clumsily built, and 
display less taste and neatness of construction than those 
used in American cities. They are comparatively heavy 
and lumbering, which struck us as more remarkable, as 
the English roads are usually hard and smooth. The axles 
of carriages and wagons are no stronger than with us, yet 
the bodies are made from two to four times as heavy as 
an American mechanic would make them. Many a one- 
horse wagon here, seems of itself enough for the animal to 
draw, without any load in it, and the burdens, too often 
piled upon them, looked to us excessive and cruel. 

The number of omnibuses in London, is now about 
seven thousand, and of cabs over eleven thousand. We 
saw one numbered eleven thousand three hundred and sev- 
enty ! There are also a large number of " Hansoms," drawn 
by one horse. And yet no one street in London presents 
such a show of " busses," as Broadway, New- York. Nor 
is the incessant, overpowering noise of Broadway any- 
where else to be heard, not even on London Bridge, the 
greatest of the great thoroughfares of the city, on which 
the crowd is literally a moving mass, so that the least check 
brings it to a stand, and creates a large crowd of pedes- 
trians and vehicles, with a confusion of tongues like the 
Babel of old. This confusion is, at times, " worse con- 
founded," and the carriage-way is blocked up with car- 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 117 

riages, drays, and busses, and the pavement crowded with 
passengers, all stopped, perhaps, by a dead horse on the 
centre of the bridge, as was the case a few days ago, when 
we were there. Both ends, and the streets leading thereto 
are almost immediately as thoroughly blockaded as if 
Grortschakoff, and his hordes of Russians had done it, and 
the hurrying thousands, who are making the best of their 
way, without a minute to spare, to railway stations and 
boat stations, bank engagements, &c, &c., are all suddenly 
brought up standing, and confounded indeed, and "con- 
found" the dead horse and his driver with some expressions 
not quite appropriate for ladies' or other sensitive ears. 
However time works wonders, and aided by the police and 
good-natured passers-by, the dead horse is at last removed, 
and the currents of life proceed as usual. (And you know 
there are " dead horses," of various kinds, that clog the af- 
fairs of men, causing infinite loss of time, anxiety and 
distress, till by some means removed.) 

The crowd on this bridge, after being blocked up, as 
it sometimes is, for many minutes, is wonderful, and when 
it breaks away it is like the bursting of long pent-up wa- 
ters — the accumulated masses move on, in opposite direc- 
tions, like an endless chain, only gradually ceasing after 
night has set in, and the vast dark wilderness of houses is 
lit up by the numerous gas lights, and the starry lamps of 
heaven. 

We have stood on this great artery, and watched, with 
curiosity, interest and wonder, the tide of the river below, 
running almost like a race-horse, as well as the rapid tide 
of life that flows over it. What a contrast, and yet what 
a similarity ! The one bound for an ocean of wide waste 



-DE. 

wa* other for an ocean of eternity — of weal or 

woe! From ea: _ morn into the 5 jht. the 

moving re a sight well w ng. 

aerly this bride 9 and 

. all the way across the r; 

nd private dwellings, and at one time a chapel 

in the centre, dedicated to Thoma- 

towers at each & Is and battlements, on 

which til 

nas been 
charmir.. ndon. and we ha »ped in 

any of * :ful an-: _ fogs that s and 

son . 

h a shroud, and in mid-day make it r. for the 

gas to be lighted in the s. How 

- _ • ould be to ns to be groping our way at mid- 

day, through dark, dimly-lighted hile the sur. 

ag the rest of our half of the 
world ! 

But we hav :he thick cloud of smoke, 

that ar nere. and which has dinsied 

and d the brick houses and the finest edifices alike, 

with the sooty deposit, accumulating for years and a_ 

uilding an appearance far more antiquated 
than the time it has stood, lvng as that often is. would 
have produced. 

-eason the sun shines here in its full force, though 

ys so of a •. on 

our side of the Atlantic. The nights are invariablv cool 

and rei- -.. . _ _ .:le bree: fai as our experience 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 119 

goes, always rising after sunset or night-fall. Sleep is, 
therefore, highly refreshing and invigorating, and conduces 
much — how much who can tell ? — to the health of this 
great city. 

The cost of living in London is. comparatively speaking, 
much higher than in New- York. Food is much dearer, 
and. considering the house rents, ground rents, church 
rates, and poor rates. — the cost of fuel and lights, and the 
thousand and one et ceteras of house-keeping. — the con- 
stant and, perhaps, unparalleled i of the population 
of this modern Babylon is marvelous. The boundaries are 
constantly extending, wider and wider, till not half the Lon- 
doners themselves know the extent and limits of London. 

The great concentration of wealth here, has virtuallv 
made London a great maelstrom. — a social whirlpool. — 
drawing to its immense multitudes all that come near it. 
whether they will or no. The love of being metropolitan, 
the love of display, parade, pomp, and flunkeyism, brings 
many into the vortex. 

The manufactures, commerce, and miscellaneous busi- 
ness are increasing with astonishing rapidity. }[oney has 
a power here such as can scarcely be realized by us. and 
the abundance of it is almost beyond computation, if not 
absolutely Aladdin-like ; but it may be accounted for by 
considering the immense profits of a world-wide commerce, 
and also by the careful, economical accumulations of ag 3. 
So far as we have seen, all kinds of labor here are highly 
profitable, and in far greater proportion than with us. The 
laborer does not get the profit, but the employer and capi- 
talist do. 

The perfect system of under-drainage and sewerage 



120 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

makes this city, comparatively, the healthiest in the world. 
The decrease, proportionately, of the bills of mortality of 
London for the last few years, say ten, compared with the 
ten preceding years, is very remarkable, and well worth 
the attention of all reflecting men. Here, while the popu- 
lation has been largely increasing, the anomaly is pre- 
sented of a constantly decreasing proportion of deaths ; 
the statistics, carefully taken, compiled and compared, 
showing far less mortality now than formerly. The health 
of the city is constantly improving, in a faster ratio 
even than the population increases, and seems to be es- 
tablishing the principle that the larger the city the more 
healthy it is. Does the smoke of the city conduce to the 
health of the people ? Does it not keep away other efflu- 
via and miasmatic influences, that operate more injuri- 
ously than smoke upon the epidemics that so often prevail ? 
Facts and figures, we are told, are stubborn things, and 
they, of late years, have demonstrated the truth of these 
statements. This is certainly a new and strong argument 
in favor of large cities, and in direct opposition to what has 
been heretofore the opinion of philosophers and scientific 
men. Instead of cities being a curse, the larger the city 
the more blessed the people ! 

We do not remember to have seen or read the statement 
of any writer or traveler in regard to the expense of living 
in London, compared with New- York, while engaged in 
purely sight-seeing. For traveling about the city in cabs, 
carriages, and omnibuses, and on the boats on the river, 
the fares are about the same. If there are but two to ride 
the " Hansoms" (a two- wheeled chaise, set low) are the 
cheapest conveyance in the city, and, taking speed and 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 121 

convenience into account, as cheap as omnibus riding. For 
lunches, dinners, tea, &c, everywhere we really pay 
double New- York prices. For all kinds of fruit the price 
is double, and sometimes treble. 

Good accommodations can be had, by the day or week, 
at first class commercial and family boarding-houses, for 
about our highest city prices ; but no hotel can be found in 
London to compare with the Astor House, Metropolitan, or 
St. Nicholas, nor one that furnishes half their variety, at 
anything near their charges, if at all. Indeed, such a din- 
ner as the five o'clock ordinary of the St. Nicholas affords, 
would cost at least a guinea ; and the far-famed London 
Tavern would probably charge two ! 

In perambulating the city we have yet to find a restau- 
rant, lunch-room, or saloon, that will bear comparison 
with Delmonico's or Taylor's. 

The club-houses, (one of the remarkable features of 
London), are, some of them, beautiful in outward appear- 
ance, and we are told are extravagantly fitted up ; but as 
they are shut up to the world, as much as if they were 
monasteries, we cannot speak of the good or bad things 
they may have in them. The great breweries and porter 
houses and gin palaces, are each peculiar in their way. 
The latter adorn every corner, and are almost endless in 
number.. And what a dead weight, expense, and curse to 
the city ! 

Society in London is very exclusive, and " No admis- 
sion" is as sternly decreed by those who guard its portals, as 
ever Roman mandate was, without the passport of real 
wealth, or the introduction of influential friends who move 
in its circles. Every man's house is truly his castle, in 



122 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

England — a secluded castle, jealously guarded. Society 
seems divided into various aristocracies, mainly of money 
or of birth, all rigidly exclusive to the rest of the world, 
outside of their own circle — except, perhaps, to those be- 
longing to one of the acknowledged superior spheres. 

The public buildings are all on a grand scale. The 
tradesmen's halls are also quite magnificent. The Gold- 
smiths' Hall, Fishmongers' Hall, Ironmongers' Hall, and. 
many others, are equally splendid. 

Of course, in such an immense and densely populous 
city, crime, vice, and poverty, in the extreme, abound 
Luxury is spread upon many boards, but keeps itself for the 
sole enjoyment of those who ean afford it, while poverty 
stalks abroad. There are occasional beggars, beseeching a 
penny for bread, and troops of poverty-stricken children 
are to be seen in the poorer districts of the city — Shore- 
ditch, Spitalfields, St. Giles in the Fields, and around the 
docks, &c, and yet it is said that none, even in this 
great city, need beg. But some are by nature beggars — 
would starve, perhaps, if they were not beggars — while 
others are taught and trained to it systematically. And 
yet, from the immense sums of money annually given here 
in charity, by noble individual liberality and goodness of 
heart, by private philanthropy, and princely generosity, 
by the poor rates, and in the shape of munificent dona- 
tions, by the Church, the State, and by every religious 
denomination, and by an incredible number of charitable 
institutions, all ought to be well provided for. But there 
are too many beggars " to the manor born," who could not, 
if they would, refrain from the pleasure they have in prac- 
ticing their calling. But what a pleasure ! 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 123 

In illustration of the noble munificence of private gen- 
tlemen of London, when called upon to assist the poor of 
the city, we may mention that at a dinner given at the 
London Tavern, two years ago last winter, for the " bene- 
fit of the poor," livelve thousand pounds sterling (sixty 
thousand dollars) was contributed by the gentlemen then 
present. A friend of ours, who was one of the party, told 
us the fact. What volumes it speaks for the liberality of 
the merchant princes of London ! 

The number of those who live by crime of every variety 
is almost incredible. Many of them, burglars and pick- 
pockets especially, have regular times and places when and 
where lessons are given in their " arts," the same as at a 
school of law oiyxiedicine. It is well known by the police 
that there are among them professional gentlemen, leaders, 
who realize ;£2,000 per annum, planning robberies, bur- 
glaries, &c, and that though so well known by the police, 
they cannot catch them, because they never actually en- 
gage in executing their own schemes. New "dodges" for 
raising the wind, are continually being contrived. The 
last was related to us, as follows : — Poor and beggarly c!ad 
children, usually girls, go from house to house, represent- 
ing their mother as a poor widow, penniless and destitute, 
but whom a kind gentleman, fond of collecting curious 
things, old and new, has kindly promised to procure, in 
some named charitable institution, a place for her, (the 
child), if she will get him one million postage stamps that 
have been passed through and canceled by the Post Office 
department, and begs of the " kind lady to be so good as 
to save all she can get, to help the poor orphan procure the 
required number, so that she may be provided for by the 



124 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

good and kind gentleman." The child further assures the- 
hoped benefactress, " she will, she thinks, soon have 
enough, as Mrs. So and So, Lady This, and the Honorable 
Miss That, have interested themselves, and promised 
mamma she shall have all they can get," and every letter 
stamp that can be secured from A, B, C, and D, fathers, 
husbands, brothers, and neighbors, is carefully saved, and 
handed to the grateful little unfortunate. But some " old 
fogy," (there are said to be some on this side of the Atlan- 
tic), on being solicited, asks, " What for ? Ah, I see ! 
Very ingenious trick — very ! Oh, no, no ; that'll never 
do. D'ye see, 1,000,000 stamps is 1,000,000 pennies," 
(two cents of our money), " and how many pounds sterling 
is that? Ah, very clever trick that !" and the old gentle- 
man is full of glee over his discovery, while the interested 
solicitor gradually opens her eyes, " Dare say, you see 
now," and the old gentleman quietly suggests that " that 
charity is capital, indeed !" The mover of this little ope- 
ration behind the curtain, would very quietly, and in a 
little time, by some chemical process, clear the stamps of 
of all black marks, and clear to himself, at the same time, 
on these stamps so charitably given to the innocent stool 
pigeons, four hundred and sixteen pounds sterling, or in 
our currency, two thousand round dollars. And we are 
assured that many thousands of stamps had been gathered 
and delivered, before this " game" was discovered. 

Of course, in our rapid peregrinations, we have not 
been favored with time or opportunity for seeing every 
thing and place a traveler would like to see ; but as we 
did not cross the briny deep so much for pleasure and 
sight-seeing as for health, we cannot be expected, and 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 125 

we shall not be able, to be very minute in our researches 
or descriptions — for which we neither have the leisure nor 
ability, at present. 

London, you know, is rich in places of deep interest, as- 
sociated with numerous historical reminiscences, which 
it is always pleasant to hear or read about — legendary cor- 
ners, lanes, houses, and church-yards, many so vividly 
sketched by Dickens, and popular writers of every age — 
besides the birth-places, residences, and most frequented 
resorts* of celebrated characters and writers, who have 
stamped their immortal names on the past. 

We have had the pleasure of visiting one of the most in- 
teresting of these localities, the Parish Church of All-hal- 
lows, corner of Watling and Bread streets, where John 
Milton was baptized and christened. The church is plain 
and solid, and in a very good state of preservation, as also 
the house in which Milton was born, in Bread-street, only 
a few steps from the church ; on the corner of which 
church is inserted a slab of white marble, with the follow- 
ing inscription upon it, transcribed for your benefit, as it 
will doubtless be as interesting to you as it was to us, 
though at first we did not recognize it : — 

" Three Poets, in three distant ages born, 
Greece, Italy, and England did adorn, 
The first, in loftiness of thought surpast ; 
The next in majesty ; — in both, the last ; 
The force of Nature could no further go : ^ 

To make a third, she joined the former two." 

There are about five hundred churches in London, and 
fifty- three of them were built by or under the superinten- 
dence of the great architect, Sir Christopher Wren. There 



126 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

are many of them we should like to be able to visit, but 
we shall not have time. 

The buildings of the great East and West India Com- 
panies, the Banking Houses of the Rothschilds, of the 
London Joint Stock Companies, and of many of the private 
Bankers, some of the Assurance and Steam Navigation 
Companies' Offices, &c, are all worth seeing, though it 
would, perhaps, be tedious to the reader to give descriptions 
of them. 

As the place where the building of the leviathan steamer 
Great Eastern is going on is within the limits of London, 
we will notice it briefly in this place. A full description 
of it would make a considerable volume. It is indeed a 
monster ship, and is one of the wonders of this age of un- 
paralleled invention and enterprize. If this is not the 
Alpha, it certainly is the Omega of ships. The model 
looks perfect ; to all appearance she will " walk the waters 
like a thing of life," and on the 

" Starry sea, wave after wave, 
Roll over, in her mountain march," 

striding the long heaving billows with the pride and majestic 
pomp of an ocean monarch. We hope she will prove that 
the undertaking was not conceived in fool-hardiness, nor so 
preposterous as some would like to have it. That the 
Great Eastern will remunerate the stockholders with any 
thing like liberal dividends for their outlay, can hardly be 
expected ; still, it may be that the investment will pay. 
Her immense length, power, size, and strength — she is 
much larger than Noah's ark — will enable her to encounter 
gales and storms with much less straining, danger, and loss 
of time, than a smaller vessel. Her five water-tight com- 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 127 

partments will almost insure her against a total loss by 
shipwreck. Her length of seven hundred feet, breadth 
seventy-seven feet, her great depth of hold, give her a ca- 
pacity for freight and passengers that is astonishing. The 
fact that she will be able to carry an army of eight to ten 
thousand men around the world, with all their necessary 
equipments, provisions, ammunition, artillery, in fact 
a complete siege train, gives us an idea of her dimensions. 
We all know the capacity of our largest steamers, and so 
can approximate to a just comparison between them and 
this leviathan of the deep. 

Many doubts have been expressed about her being safely 
launched ; but Mr. Brunei, her engineer, entertains no 
doubt on the subject, though it will take two or three days 
to accomplish it, without straining her. The 5th day of 
October next, is the time fixed for the commencement of 
launching. # 

Mr. Brunei is now engaged in raising a great tubular 
iron railroad bridge, in Wales, each of the pieces of 
which is of the enormous weight of eleven hundred tons, 
and is to be elevated some sixty feet above highwater 
mark, at the rate of three feet per day, by means of hy- 
draulic pressure ; and this magnificent project and unpre- 
cedented undertaking will, from all appearances, be suc- 
cessfully accomplished. Certainly if this can be done so 
safely, and, apparently, easily, the Great Eastern, under 
the guidance of his mechanical genius, will, we need not 
fear, be set safely afloat. The cost of this huge vessel, 
thus far, is over one million pounds sterling, or five million 



* This marine monster has since been successfully launched, 



128 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

dollars. The expense of launching her, alone, it is estima- 
ted, will be fifty thousand pounds, or about two hundred 
and fifty thousand dollars. 

Everything connected with this vessel, is on a grand and 
unprecedented scale. All hoisting and removing of cargo, 
is to be by a small steam engine, and it is contemplated 
laying down a railway track on her decks, from stem to 
stern — certainly a novel idea, but perfectly practical, and 
one, if carried into effect, that will much facilitate the bu- 
siness of the ship. Her propelling power consists of two 
side wheels, and an enormous screw paddle. 

As she now stands her wheels look small, in comparison, 
and it does not seem possible that she will have sufficient 
propelling power for her great length, and immense weight 
and draught. It is expected, however, by her builders, 
that she will prove a fast vessel ; in this, perhaps, they 
may be disappointed, though it is to be hoped not. Every 
part of her machinery, and all the work about her, and all 
the material, are said to be as good and perfect as possible. 
If she is successful as a sea-boat, and as a merchant vessel, 
what a revolution is at hand in the commerce of the whole 
world ! Such monsters as this, propelled by wondrous 
steam, and 

" The free winds of heaven, 
Sweeping immense, from land to land, 
With speed unutterably grand," 

will drive all the craft that now swarm our docks and har- 
bors and enliven every sea and ocean, entirely off the face 
of the waters. The great experiment will soon be tried, 
and then we shall see— what we shall see. 

From Mill wall, the place where the Great Eastern is 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 129 

building, it is but a short ride by steamboat, to the re- 
nowned Greenwich Hospitals, and Woolwich Dockyards 
and Arsenals. These we barely looked at, but hope to visit 
them minutely and particularly, before returning. The 
Hospital is a very large and splendid edifice, a beautiful 
and extensive Park adjoining, and affords a home to the 
poor, infirm, and battered old veteran sailors, who have 
served in the British navy, that Britain may point to and 
speak of with just pride. The docks, yards, armories, 
foundries, arsenals, &c, at Woolwich, are on a magnificent 
scale, and we are told there are now stored in them the 
almost incredible number of thirty thousand pieces of can- 
non, and mortars of all kinds, notwithstanding the con- 
sumption of the late war with Russia, which necessarily 
used up large numbers. Small arms, cannon balls and 
shells, are in mountainous piles. We hope to visit them 
again, and thoroughly inspect them. 

We have yet to visit the London, the East India, the 
West India, and the Victoria docks, as well as many other 
places of great interest and celebrity. The number of pro- 
menades, gardens, exhibitions, monuments, manufactories, 
markets, &c, worth the attention of visitors, but which 
we have not yet seen, is quite astonishing. Health permit- 
ting, we hope at least to take a hasty look at many of 
them, before we quit these shores. There are sights 
enough here, and the more we see, the more we want to see. 

This little crowded Island is full of objects of interest, 
memorials of past events, scenes of transactions become 
historical, many of them as important to and as closely af- 
fecting Americans as they do Englishmen. We rejoice 
that we, too, have a just right to exult and take a pride in 



130 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 

all the evidences of past and present grandeur that we see 
around us, as inheriting the language, the best of the in» 
stitutions, the blood of this our mother land— we feel that 
we are not foreigners, but entitled to share in all the glory 
of Anglo-Saxondom. 

The people here would enjoy life more, were it not for a 
certain distance and almost arrogance of manner and bear- 
ing, which more or less pervade every class, but which, 
doubtless, are derived from that which is regarded as the 
highest. To this class, identifying itself with all the great- 
est events, all that is most illustrious in English history, 
standing socially and politically at the head of this vast 
empire, looking down on all other classes as their inferiors, 
by law, by custom, by birth — to this class, we say, we 
trace that calm, unconscious, insolent superciliousness, 
which is only to be found among Englishmen. Not that 
this is by any means a general characteristic of the nation ; 
it is but a vicious and excessive development of that pride 
and self-confidence that distinguish our race, but which in 
our republican land dare not show themselves so offen- 
sively. 

However, this self-esteem and self-confidence, which 
thus in too many individual cases are exaggerated into ar- 
rogance and imperturbable conceit, are undoubtedly essen- 
tial elements in the national character of the people that 
have built up the mighty empire we now behold. Those 
qualities were indispensable to England's greatest achieve- 
ments, and to command the respect which her name and 
power have so long inspired among the nations. 

Who shall calculate what this little England has done 
for freedom, art, science, and civilization ? Perhaps it is 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 131 

her mission to subdue, enlighten, rule and Christianize, 
the many barbarous races and nations of the eastern hemi- 
sphere ; just as it seems to be our task to give Anglo- 
Saxon law, order, language and institutions, to the west- 
ern half of the world. 

The destiny of the one is parallel with the des- 
tiny of the other, but in different spheres ; and they are so 
widely separated, that there is no cause for a clashing of 
interests. A unity of feeling and sympathy should exist, 
as there is a unity and bond of blood and kindred. Side 
by side, and shoulder to shoulder, their power would be ir- 
resistible by all the powers of the earth united ; and since 
Providence has imposed upon our Anglo-Saxon race duties 
so high, and labors so onerous, ought we not to forget all 
minor differences, and petty rivalries, and devote ourselves 
earnestly and sincerely, to our evident and glorious mission 
— the civilizing and christianizing of the nations, and 
bringing about that era when all the people shall . be 
blessed, and when every where shall reign " Peace on earth, 
and good- will towards men ?" 

The marked position they each now occupy — being the 
only nations of the world where freedom of speech and the 
p r e SS — .freedom of conscience in the worship of Grod, and 
in the exercise of the inalienable rights of man, are en- 
joyed — the fact that they now possess the two great central 
sources of the precious metal which has become the me- 
dium of commerce and exchange, and the standard of 
value, and that they exercise a paramount and increasing 
control over the whole commercial system of the world — 
all this surely indicates to us that the two nations are des 
tined to run a parallel career of greatness, and to exercise a 
conjoint and similar influence on the whole world. 



132 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

England has been said to be poising on the pinnacle of 
her greatness, and it may be so ; but truly she is on a pin«- 
nacle that all nations may envy, and that few can rea- 
sonably hope ever to reach. We know that America is 
young, fresh, strong, and eager for the race, and has only 
just entered on the course of greatness and renown. Still, 
we confess to be content to hope and believe, that in the 
grand march of civilization, old England and young Amer- 
ica may move on, hand in hand, and the world will 
follow ! 

Our next will be of the green fields, forests, and homes — 
the rural life and aspect of England. We shall tell you of 
the beautiful landscapes, of the flocks and herds, and farms, 
and, perhaps, of some of the antiquities we have seen in 
our railway flights through the ever delightful, fresh, and 
changing scenery. 



LETTER No. VIII. 

Townley-House, Ramsgate, EnGLANDj 
September 2d, 1857. 

Dear Sister H * # # # : 

We took the cars at the London Bridge Station, South- 
Eastern Railway, on the first of August, enfroute for this 
place, and after a rapid and delightful ride, through an en- 
chanting country, found ourselves, in four hours, at this old 
and favorite watering-place and resort for Londoners, in 
the midst of our dear relations, who gave us that genuine, 
hearty and overflowing welcome which always warms and 
touches the tenderest sympathies of the heart. But this 
only en passant, as it interests us personally more than 
you, though you will be happy to know of the kind recep- 
tion we met with from our dear friends. We will speak 
of this when we meet again, face to face, and have inter- 
changed our greetings and " welcome from a foreign 
shore." 

Our road lay through the rich counties of Surrey and 
Kent, the latter, in many respects, one of the best culti- 
vated counties in England, if not the very best. The track 
was smooth, and in excellent order, and the cars comfort- 
able. But we will now write only of 

" Britannia's sweetly-perfumed vales, 
* * * * green fields, 
Balm-laden galea," 



134 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

and impart, as far as we can, their delightful influences to 
those who will doubtless love to hear something of them, 
and to enjoy them with us, if only in imagination. 

We emerged from the smoke and bustle of the great 
modern Babylon, with a feeling of relief and thankfulness, 
much as we had been pleased and interested there ; and it 
was exceedingly delicious to quaff in the sweet breezes, 
that came laden with such freshness and balmy fragrance 
from the soft green fields that continually meet the eye on 
every side, when you get into the country. The gentle 
wings of the south wind wafted to us an incense of unal- 
loyed pleasure, and to look upon those sweet fields, " dress- 
ed in living green," was as exhilarating as listening to the 
eeolian strains of sweet and harmonious music, or the 
flowing and soft murmuring of rippling waters, as they 
leap joyfully over the pebbled bed of some crystal stream. 

As we swept along, over vales, through meadows, and 
under the hills, darting at fearful speed into the bowels of 
the earth, through tunnels and out again, to catch a pass- 
ing view of the beautifully diversified landscape, — wood- 
lands, the "dear green fields," and the gathering harvests, 
noble mansions, embowered villas, pretty humble cottages, 
and the multitude of flocks and herds grazing on the plains 
and hills, in the closes and glebes, enclosed with the dark 
green hedges, with the glimpses, now and then, and here 
and there, of the spire or turrets of some retired and shaded 
ivy-clad village church — the wide-spreading park, and the 
succession of villages and towns — all this, together with 
the mingled bright sunshine and soft shadows, floating over 
the whole, combined to make us feel that, if not on the 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 135 

road to Paradise, we were at least as nearly so as we ever 
shall be while riding on a railway, in this world. 

The hedges around the fields give a finish and an air of 
"beauty to the face of the country such as ours cannot boast 
of; they are grown along the road-side, and over hill and 
dale, bounding the fields, the stately parks, and wide- 
spreading lawns, like beautiful fringes, finishing the land- 
scape and scenery with the last touches of gracefulness 
and art, such as the artist gives to his master-pieces, ere 
made complete, and ready for the gaze of the admiring 
multitude ; and this not alone in one county, but wherever 
we go. The villages, hamlets, and towns, studding the 
country here and there, in quick succession, looked quite 
thriving. The largest we passed through were Tunbridge, 
Ashford, and the ancient, venerable, and famous old city of 
Canterbury — each of which looked well built, and quite 
flourishing. The vast and time-honored Cathedral of the 
last mentioned place, towers above the town with stately 
grandeur and considerable magnificence, and we gazed upon 
it with mingled feelings of admiration and respect, as we 
remembered its remarkable history — its sieges and slaugh- 
ters — its great patron saint, Thomas a Becket — its fall, 
decay, and rise again and again. But of Canterbury and 
Canterbury Tales hereafter, when we have observed 

11 The strength, the light, the why and when it was erected ;" 

and, still walking amidst its solemn shades, 

" Meet some new matter to look upon and wonder." 

We first saw the old Cathedral at a very favorable time : 
just as the rays of the evening sun cast a soft and mellow 



136 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 



light over the towers, and revealed in the boldest relief 
every turret, carving, antique pillar, and storied window, 
with the most agreeable effect. 

Ramsgate is an old, and, much of it, ancient-looking 
place. The house we are now at, the Duchess of Kent and 
the Queen, when Princess Victoria, spent many of her 
summers in while a girl. The town is tolerably well built 
of brick and stone, and lies between and on the summit of 
two high chalk cliffs. The streets are narrow, and wind- 
ing, but very well paved. The harbor is a royal one ; the 
piers, constructed of heavy stone, are kept in excellent re- 
pair at a great expense. It is more a harbor of refuge than 
for business or commerce, though it is at almost all times 
difficult of access when most wanted. The harbor-master, 
Captain Martin, is an exceedingly clever man, in the Eng- 
lish sense of the term, and is always as kind and humane 
as he is entertaining. All visitors to this port are sure to 
be cheered by his genial face, and amid sunshine and storm 
he is ever at the post of duty. The many who suffer ship- 
wreck on the Groodwin Sands, a few miles distant, invari- 
ably find him a friend indeed, as his life-boats and men are 
always there when wanted. 

This being one of the nearest watering-places to London, 
and always to be reached by steam packet or railway, at a 
low cost, there being considerable competition, large num- 
bers come here, and " The Sands," a splendid beach under 
the cliffs, immediately in front of the town, are daily alive 
with thousands, who have come down to enjoy the delight- 
ful luxury of sea-bathing, and to inhale, in all their 
freshness, the salt gales of the deep. 

Four miles from Ramsgate, Caesar and his first Roman 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 137 

army landed, and there are still fine old ruins to be seen of 
their fortifications, and often coins, arms, and other Roman 
relics are exhumed by the ploughshare and mattock. 
Fourteen miles distant is the old town of Dover, with 
Walmer Castle near by, whose turrets we can see every 
clear day. And not far out to sea are the " Downs," 
where 

" the fleet lay moored, 

The streamers waving in the wind, 

When black-eyed Susan came on board." 

We can see them plainly, and now, as of yore, large 
numbers of vessels lie there, it being close under the lee of 
the South Foreland, and pretty well protected from all but 
easterly and north-easterly winds, and the anchorage being 
excellent. 

On a clear day the shores of La Belle France are dis- 
tinctly visible, and the Calais light gleams over the channel 
almost every night. In every direction the roads and 
drives are very pleasant. Broadstairs, Minster, Margate, 
(another watering-place,) are each pleasant villages, with 
interesting historical associations. At the former place 
there was pointed out to us, standing on the very brink of 
the cliff, a tall and unsightly-looking house, which was 
erected, and for some years inhabited, by Mr. Charles 
Dickens. It is believed to be the veritable Bleak House. 
It stands isolated on one side of the village, and looks, from 
its exposed and lonely situation, as if it might have sug- 
gested, or even have been the original, whence the distin- 
guished novelist drew his description of that most uncom- 
fortable dwelling. He has not lived in it of late. In this 
case, though the novelist had his bed and board there so 



138 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

long, the association seems to have caused estrangement 
from the place. Lack-a-day ! Little Dorritt and Bleak 
House are the merest penny-a-line compositions compared 
with his Pickwick Papers, Nicholas Nickleby, Master 
Humphrey's Clock, and his earlier productions. 

We had but just commenced our delightful peregrina- 
tions hereaboufs, when we were taken down with our old 
complaints, and were completely bed and house bound by 
severe chills and fever, for four whole weeks, only being 
able to get out four days ago. This was a disarrangement 
of all our plans, and has compelled us to forego the pleas- 
ure we so much anticipated, of a week in the Highlands, 
among old Scotia's noble sons, her hills and valleys, rivers 
and lochs, — and another week on the Green Isle, about the 
old city of Dublin, and on the banks of the Lakes of Kil- 
larney. But some other time, we hope, Providence per- 
mitting, to enjoy a long ramble among those beautiful and 
romantic scenes. 

To-day we hope to return to London, having recovered 
sufficiently to travel, and we hope and trust permanently 
so, and thence once more betake ourselves, on the swift 
railway, to the north, passing through the counties of 
Essex, Hertford, Bedford, Huntingdon, and the corner of 
Northampton, into Lincoln, to visit our friends and see the 
sights. 

Having spent the night in London, and feeling quite re- 
freshed from our night's rest, we left at nine o'clock the 
following morning for Lincoln, and thence to Manchester, 
where we shall finish and mail this letter to you. 

The scenery along the road was lovely, and as exhilara- 
ting as when we first trod these shores. On every side, as 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 139 

far as we could see, was the ever-changing and delightful 
panorama, 

" With opening views of hill and dale, 
Which sense and fancy do regale. 
Thou seest the clover, pea, and bean, 
Vie in variety of green ; 
Fresh pastures, speckled o'er with sheep, 
Brown fields the fallow Sabbaths keep, 
Plump Ceres' golden dresses wear, 
And poppy top-knots deck her hair ; 
And silver streams through meadows stray, 
And Naiads on the margin play, 
And lesser nymphs on side of hills, 
From plaything urns pour down the rills ;" 



and the unfrequented hedge-bordered lawns and shaded 
roadways, winding here and there over the land, like deli- 
cate veins over the hand, but time-hardened and trodden 
for centuries, look so smooth and inviting, that, had we 
time, we should . greatly prefer to travel and stroll over 
them at our leisure, instead of being drawn through them 
by the swift steam courser, over the iron track. The po- 
etry of nature in England is voluminous and varied, every 
page sparkles with gems of loveliness. The whole land 
gleams and smiles beneath the gentle sunbeams, that so 
serenely shine in mid-summer. We have hit exactly the 
right time to see all the beauty of English scenery. 

The majestic and far-stretching parks here, covering, in 
not a few instances, thousands of broad acres, are first 
among the beauties and wonders of this queen of islands. 
And the number of them is astonishing, when we think of 

6* 



140 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

the whole area of the country, and the population who 
live off the land actually under cultivation. True, every 
acre that is cultivated is well and scientifically cultivated, 
and yields a great abundance of the fruits of the earth ; 
and to such a degree as would astound some of our coun- 
try's farmers beside the " Hoosiers." Nevertheless, it is 
one of the evils of this rich and highly-favored country, 
that so much of its best lands should be set apart, by the 
enormously wealthy landowners and proprietors, to pleas- 
ure-grounds, wide-spread lawns, parks, and forests ; if 
three-quarters of these were put under the same state of cul- 
tivation as the rest of the country, the beauty of the scenery 
would not be materially lessened, if at all, the real wealth of 
the landed proprietors, and of the country at large would 
be immensely enhanced, and its poor benefited. People 
are the most happy when they do the most good : and here 
is a chance to do immense good — to promote, practically 
and unmistakably, the greatest good of the greatest num- 
ber, and at the same time enrich themselves and the whole 
country. 

It seemed to us one could never grow weary of traveling 
through this country — there is so much to please the eye, 
so many things exciting reflection, so many objects of inter- 
est ; ancestral halls, lofty castles, ruined abbeys, and an- 
cient mansions ; the comfortable farm houses, beautiful 
rural cottages, everywhere to be seen peeping out from 
amid bowers of roses and evergreens ; splendid parks, with 
their noble old forest trees, and green-sward slopes ; quiet, 
old-fashioned villages ; all this must be seen to be realized. 
Reading of it does not place it before the eye. You 






NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 141 

know the poet Campbell once on a time told the 
world 

" 'Tis distance lends enchantment to the view, 
And clothes the mountain in its azure hue." 

But however true that may be, we know that 

" Near, near to us now is everywhere seen 
The fairest of landscapes — so sweet and serene : 
The charms of enrich'd nature all around yield 
Enchantment that distance can lend to no field." 

We notice particularly (and this, perhaps, is a national 
characteristic) that where the English gentry can hide 
their dwellings from public gaze, they almost invariably do 
so. High stone and brick walls, clumps of trees, or thick 
live hedges, shut the world out from view, and many a 
beautiful and noble pile is entirely secluded, and, to all but 
its inmates, 

" Wastes its sweetness on the desert air." 

Thus the poet sings : — 

" The stately homes of England, 
How beautiful they stand, 
Amid their tall ancestral trees, 
O'er all the pleasant land." 

Seclusion, quiet, a home of peace, is the acme of the 
true Englishman's ambition, and having attained it he en- 
joys it. This testimonial of their love of home and privacy 
we give with pride and pleasure, as that feeling may be 



142 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

regarded as one of the most pleasant features of the life 
and character of our common race. 

On our way to Lincoln we passed through many places 
of interest. Peterborough, Boston, Huntingdon, Tatter- 
sall, and others. At each of these places we noticed some 
fine-looking buildings and towering church spires. At 
Boston there is a very beautiful Gothic spire, that attracts 
the attention of all passers-by, as it points its lofty and 
beautifully symmetrical proportions heavenward. At Tat- 
tersall Station, you can very distinctly discern its tall and 
ancient castle, still in very good preservation. 

For a long distance before we reached the city of Lin- 
coln, our way was over reclaimed lands, which, a few 
years ago, were only known as the Fens of Lincolnshire. 
They were then overflowed ; now they are drained by 
means of steam- pumps, and considered among the very 
richest lands in the kingdom. The surface of the country 
is as level as Chicago prairie, and not at all unlike it in 
general appearance, except that this is now cultivated like 
a garden, and, judging by what we see of the ricks and 
stacks of grain, wheat, oats, barley, and beans, that are 
thickly gathered around the great teeming barns and yards 
of the farmers, and from the numerous green fields of tur- 
nips, the alluvial deposit or soil is exceedingly rich, and 
abounds in that nourishment so necessary to the ample re- 
ward, promised of old, to faithful stewardship and indus- 
trious husbandry. 

The city of Lincoln is on high ground, the base of which 
was, in olden time, washed by the sea, and overflowing the 
Fens, we just mentioned. Its very beautiful and lofty 
cathedral may be seen for many, many miles. The fine old 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 143 

castle, near the cathedral, is also conspicuous, and a land- 
mark for a long distance. This is a fine old city — one of 
the most ancient places in England, and its cathedral is 
justly considered by many to be equal to York Minster, 
while others contend for its superiority, with the exception 
that the Minster is more celebrated for its wonderful col- 
lection of antiquities, monuments, and relics. This vast 
building is called by architects a very superior work of art, 
scarcely surpassed by any of the old churches in the king- 
dom, and, in respect to solidity and fine work, exceeding 
the Minster. In size they are about the same, the Minster 
being only two feet longer, and nine inches wider. The 
vast front, adorned with numerous figures of the Apostles 
and Saints, the immense and beautiful towers, the great 
central one particularly, which has been studied and copied 
to a considerable degree in the erection of the Yictoria 
Tower of the new Houses of Parliament, are wonderful 
specimens of the skill and genius of the architects — living 
and working as they did, too, in the " Dark Ages !" 

This Cathedral was founded and mostly built by the 
Bishop Remigius, and .completed by Bishop Bloet. The 
style of architecture is mixed, the Italian prevailing in the 
outward adorning. The turrets, pillars, columns, with the 
entablatures and windows,, and massive projecting cornices 
are all finely sculptured. The nave, chancel and transept, 
are each triumphs of art and wonders of the age in which 
they were built, and one cannot look upon them without 
the greatest astonishment and admiration. The large 
organ is very sweet toned and highly ornamented ; the 
seats and canopies of old oak, are curiously carved with 
figures of animals, fruits, leaves and flowers, no two alike ; 



144 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

exquisitely executed, and considered very peculiar and un- 
surpassed anywhere. The arches supporting the roof are 
very finely turned, and the windows under the roof over 
the chancel are each superbly ornamented with extraor- 
dinarily light, but perfectly symmetrical columns, sur- 
rounded and enriched with carved oak leaves and flowers, 
that are believed to be the best specimens of this kind of 
work now existing. The angels at the corners of the bases 
of these windows have some very curious old musical in- 
struments in their hands, and are quite remarkable. 

There are many old tombs here, among which we noted 
more particularly the tomb of Remigius, the first bishop, 
and founder, of this cathedral ; the tomb of the wife of 
the celebrated character, John of (xaunt, and those of some 
ancient warriors, probably superior officers, surmounted 
by sculptured stone figures, encased in armor. 

The beautifully proportioned Chapter House attached is 
circular, the roof of which represents a wide-spreading 
palm-tree, being supported by a single column in the centre, 
exquisite in the extreme, and is both unique and a remark- 
able specimen of delicate architecture. In the troublous 
times of the Reformers they took from here all the shrines, 
crucifixes, &c, &c, made of silver and gold, weighing 
over six thousand ounces of the former, and four thousand 
of the latter. The hole in which the foot of the great 
silver cross was placed was shown us. 

The Library Room is fine and large, and contains a 
magnificent collection of books and old manuscripts, in 
huo-e volumes, all of which were written with the most 
wonderful precision and elegance, by the monks, previous 
to the Reformation. The capitals of the old manuscripts 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 145 

are illuminated in colors which are now as bright as when 
first written, some of them many centuries ago. 

The chaste and highly- wrought galilee, or porch, with its 
perfect arches, and the exquisitely stained glass windows, 
particularly the larger circular ones, at each end of the 
transept, and a small one inserted in one of the large win- 
dows of the south side of the cathedral, representing the 
presentation of our Saviour in the Temple, a most extra- 
ordinary gem, are all worth special study, and will be 
admired by every lover of the beautiful and sublime. The 
smallest circular stained window was put in about the 
middle of the thirteenth century, and is claimed here as 
the first specimen of this wonderful art in England. Cer- 
tainly no such stained glass can now be made. The soft- 
ness of the coloring, combined with the transparent bril- 
liancy, is very remarkable, and produces a beautiful effect. 
Looking upon these fine productions we felt a greater re- 
spect for ancient art and artists. At the present day we are 
unable to equal those admirable colors ; for more than a 
hundred years numerous attempts have been made to do 
so, but none have succeeded in attaining their perfection, 
or any real proximity to it. 

There are numerous chapels attached to the cathe- 
dral, that are beautifully ornamented with carvings in 
stone, and once contained paintings and shrines, which 
have been destroyed or removed. There are some screens 
here of carved stone work, that are executed in the highest 
style of art, and have received the highest encomiums of 
the first artists in the world. We never before saw leaves 
and flowers, and delicate tracery, so finely produced, even 
in marble, much less in comparatively coarse stone. 



146 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

We were also shown here a tomb, in which, it is said, is 
the skeleton of a Christian child, whom, according to tradi- 
tion, the Jews of this city crucified in an old Norman 
house, still standing, and pointed out to visitors. It is al- 
leged that it was a custom of theirs to do so annually, at 
some of their religious rites or festivals. That the hones 
of a child are actually there, or were a few years ago, is 
undeniable ; but that they are the bones of a child crucified 
by the Jews is only a myth, and undoubtedly originated in 
the terrible persecutions that people have suffered when- 
ever their hoarded wealth has been coveted by unscrupu- 
lous tyrants. 

The old cloisters, monks' houses, and religious establish- 
ments, are in ruins. The old Bishops' Palace is also crum- 
bling away, and will soon disappear. In one of the courts of 
the cathedral, between it and the arcade of the old cloisters, 
we were shown a beautiful, but fast decaying, specimen of 
the wonderful tesselated pavements of the early Romans, 
which is believed to be full seventeen hundred years old ! 
The colors are still bright and clear, though the mosaic is 
beginning to crumble and fade away, by exposure to the 
air. This beautiful relic of ancient art was discovered 
only some twenty years ago by accident, about twelve feet 
from the surface, by a man who commenced to sink a. well 
there, and it has since been carefully preserved. The spe- 
cimens in the British Museum, and at York Minster, are 
about the only ones known here now. 

Having done the cathedral as well as we could, we visit- 
ed and passed under some old Roman walls and archways, 
still well preserved. These are quite solid, though more 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 147 

than one thousand years old, and will probably stand a 
thousand years hence. 

We visited the Castle of Lincoln, by permit. It is very 
clean, and kept in excellent order. The great walls are of 
perfect masonry work, and the massive entrance is as 
strong as stone and cement can make it, while the old 
sally-ports, with their heavy barred doors, are apparently 
impregnable. The parapet and ramparts show the effects 
of time, but could be easily put in complete order. Within 
the walls is a prison for the shire, kept in very nice order. 
There, also, is a fine building of stone, in which are cham- 
bers for the county and circuit courts. The grand-jury 
room in this building we admired very much indeed ; it is 
very spacious, and well adapted to the purpose for which it 
is used, as well as fitted up in quite a comfortable manner. 
The old moat and ditch are now entirely filled with accu- 
mulated rubbish, and the temporary buildings of poor 
people — a sort of squatters. The citadel is in the best 
state of defence, and ready to be manned for a siege. It 
was formerly supposed that this fortress could safely defy 
every foe ; but the Parliamentarians, under the indomi- 
table Cromwell, once took it, and held it, after a bloody 
struggle. At the same time he used the great nave of the 
cathedral as a stable, for his terrible and irresistible 
cavalry. 

As the friends we intended to visit resided at Scrampton 
parish, seven miles from Lincoln, in the midst of the remains 
of one of the encampments of the old. Roman legions, in 
their first invasions of England, and within a few rods of 
a spot where once stood a Roman villa, and also close 
to the great military road, (known in modern times here- 



148 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

abouts as Tillbridge lane,) built by those all-conquering 
warriors, we had a favorable opportunity for exploring 
these great curiosities. The villa, once quite extensive, is 
now entirely destroyed, but excavations occasionally turn 
up some relic of it. The Roman road is in excellent preser- 
vation, regularly laid out on an air line, to the nearest point 
of the river Trent ; it is four rods wide, the same width as 
our great public roads, — the only one of that width we 
have seen in England. 

While sojourning a few days here with our friend, the 
rector, we had the pleasure of visiting the ancient Sidno- 
caster, now called St. Mary's Stowe, three hundred 
years older than the cathedral at Lincoln, having been 
founded in the year of our Lord 672. This is one of the 
most remarkable old churches in England, and truly a 
place full of the deepest interest. The history of near 
twelve hundred years clusters around it. We looked upon 
it with reverence and respectful curiosity. 

Ethelrida, daughter of Amra, king of East Anglia, mar- 
ried first to Tonebert, one of the princes of the Southern 
Gryrvii, and afterwards to Egfrid, a king of Northumbria, 
left the latter husband (as the tradition says, and some his- 
torical sketches seem to confirm,) in order to devote herself 
to a more pious life, and traveled on foot, attended only 
by two maidens, till, in her weary pilgrimage southward, 
having become exhausted and foot-sore, she thrust her 
walking staff into the ground, and lay down beneath the 
shade of some trees to sleep. When she awoke, behold ! her 
staff had taken root in the ground, and sent forth vigorous 
branches, covered with fresh green leaves ! This was 
thenceforth a sacred spot. And having determined upon a 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 149 

religious life, this was so remarkable an incident, such a 
manifest evidence of the favor she enjoyed of heaven, that 
she at once named the place " Ethelrida Stowe," and 
vowed to erect a minster on the very ground, and dedicate 
it to the Virgin Mary. The present structure is believed 
to be a part of that old Minster, though since the original 
erection, wars, rapine, and burnings have twice or thrice 
laid it in a heap of ruins. During the wars which Saxons, 
Danes, and Normans, waged with each other, and which 
were at last brought to a close by the victories of Canute, 
the Danes once reduced this church almost to ashes. The 
Normans also once nearly destroyed it ; and the marks of 
these fires are now quite plainly visible. 

In these ancient walls may be seen a curious amalga- 
mation of the work of the builders of three distinct eras. 
The foundations, and a little above them, are of old Saxon 
construction, then the Norman repairs and additions, and 
the more modern Saxon, or perhaps, properly speaking, 
early English, or both. The distinctions are clear and ob- 
vious, and the solidity, indestructibility, and excellent ma- 
terial and workmanship of these several specimens of 
ancient masonry, are not only instructive memorials of the 
skill and labor of our predecessors, but of the reverence 
and affection of the people for these edifices, so manifestly 
displayed in thus preserving this church from age to 
age. 

The chancel, choir, transept, and nave, are each worthy 
of a particular description ; but we cannot take the time it 
would require to describe them satisfactorily. The arches 
of the tower on the centre of the transept are very solid, 
and present the unparalleled circumstance 6f one being 



150 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

built within the other ; the early Saxon, and the latter 
Norman, both perfect in their structure. The arches, win- 
dows, interlaced columns, and groined roof, are the most 
admirable productions of the genius of the Normans we 
have ever seen, and, at a little distance, are as beautiful as 
a painting. Indeed we have never met with any creation 
of the noble art and science of the architect, which we 
have looked upon with more interest, admiration, and lively 
satisfaction, than we felt while viewing this ancient 
church. 

The excellent and gentlemanly rector, the Rev. Mr. 
Atkinson, has been engaged since 1850 in restoring and 
preserving the whole church, and, so far as he has been 
able to proceed in his praiseworthy undertaking, every por- 
tion is afac simile of the old structure. In making exca- 
vations and taking down walls, he has obtained a complete 
knowledge of the plan and designs of the original building, 
and also indisputable evidence of the almost total ruin it 
sustained in the time of the earlier Saxons, and again by 
the Danes. 

Thus, when the restoration is completed, the edifice will 
exhibit, in the nineteenth century, the ideas and designs of 
the seventh, and some of the work of the eleventh centu- 
ries. The stranger visiting this most interesting relic of 
ages long gone by — the mother of the Lincoln Minster — 
will be amply repaid. "We left it reluctantly, regretting 
greatly that we could not devote to it at least an entire 
(lay. 

The expense of living in the country here is worthy of 
note, as Lincolnshire is purely an agricultural county, and 
confessedly one of the best in England. The prices here, 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 151 

therefore, may be considered a fair index of the prices for 
the country generally. We were much surprised at the 
great difference between living here, and in the country at 
home. Beef is furnished to families at the door, at from six- 
teen to eighteen cents per pound — mutton and lamb, four- 
teen to sixteen cents — common ducks eighty cents per 
pair — chickens, sixty-five to eighty cents per pair — butter 
thirty-seven cents per pound — eggs from two to three cents 
each, the year round ; and flour seventy-five cents per 
stone of fourteen pounds, equal to ten dollars and fifty 
cents per barrel. With these prices, scarcely ever varying 
from year's end to year's end, farmers must be able to 
live, comfortably, not to say anything of luxuries, if trades- 
men, mechanics, and laborers cannot. 

We had the pleasure of seeing Lincoln on a great mar- 
ket and fair day. The streets were filled with genuine 
John Bulls, and the simplicity, robustness, and good-nature 
everywhere prevailing, were quite pleasant and exhilarating. 
The rustic maiden and the blue-frocked swain — the burly 
farmer and the " gude hus'wife" — the jolly market woman 
and the keen tradesman, with produce, wares, all kinds of 
odds and ends, but no care, apparently, except, perhaps, to 
make a good bargain — all helped to form an animated, and, 
to us, novel scene, and afforded us not a little amusement. 

From Lincoln we took our way to the Manchester Ex- 
hibition, via the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincoln Rail- 
way, through Nottingham, and a corner of Yorkshire, and 
into the eastern part of Lancashire. The ride Was as de- 
lightful as usual ; the same variety, if we may so speak, 
of country-seats, parks, farms, and rural scenery in gene- 



152 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

ral, presenting themselves in too rapid succession to our 
eager eyes. 

"We had fifteen minutes at Sheffield, and that was quite 
long enough to revel in the thick, dark atmosphere of 
smoke, mingled with a variety of fumes and gases, which 
literally pours out of a thousand chimneys. It looks a 
well built, business-like, and very flourishing place, and it 
undoubtedly is what it looks, for the wares and merchan- 
dize of this town are known and used wherever there is 
civilization. The hardware, cutlery, and silver plating of 
Sheffield are familiar in almost every part of the world. 
But bright, handsome and useful as are its manufactures, 
still it certainly is a black and uninviting place, constantly 
enveloped in clouds, also of its own manufacture, which 
must be almost impervious to the rays of the sun. 

All the way to Manchester, the road, except over the 
moors, in the southwest corner of Yorkshire, is lined with 
manufacturing establishments of every kind. Many of 
them are very extensive, and of the most substantial work- 
manship and material. 

Before we reached Manchester we passed through a tun- 
nel nearly four miles long, mostly rock, the transit occu- 
pying just eight minutes. It seemed like going into the 
lower regions, and we felt as if the bowels of the earth 
had opened and taken us in. Near Manchester the scenery 
is broken, but very pretty. 

The general appearance of this city pleased us, for 
though the streets are dirty, they are well laid out, and 
substantially built. The manufacturing, mercantile, and 
business buildings are usually what are called first class. 
The residences of the merchant princes, cotton lords, and 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 153 

active business men, are, we need hardly say, of modern 
construction, and look very convenient and pleasant. The 
Exchange, and several of the churches, are noble speci- 
mens of architecture, and do the city, and her industrious 
population, great credit. It is astonishing to think how 
extensively the fabrics of cotton, wool, silk, &c, here 
manufactured, are used throughout the world, by civilized 
and savage alike ; by Hindoos, New-Zealanders, Hotten- 
tots, and Broadway belles. This Manchester spins indus- 
triously, unceasingly, for them all, and will spin and 
weave for as many more as are able to pay. On every side 
there is an air of thrift and prosperity, that speaks well for 
the solid advancement of the city and her citizens to a 
still higher position and standing among the great centres 
of trade and business of the world. 

The Exhibition here, is now the great object of attrac- 
tion, and is truly a magnificent affair — such a display as 
never has been held before, and probably never will be 
again. The building is large, of brick, iron, and glass, and 
well adapted for its purpose. In it are gathered, and well 
arranged, all the gems of the ancient and modern masters 
of the fine arts, owned in Great Britain ; the exhibition, 
you will remember, being exclusively of the " Art-Treasures 
of Great Britain." Here are the rarest productions of 
carving, in wood, ivory, and metals — the most curious and 
interesting furniture ; cabinets, dressing-cases, plate chests, 
treasure cases, and jewelry boxes, of ivory, ebony, silver, 
gold, and various kinds of rare woods ; old styles of valu- 
able jewelry ; precious stones ; watches of all shapes and 
sizes ; ancient armor ; armorial bearings in gold, bronze 
and steel, and steel inlaid with gold ; weapons of every 



154 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 



age, form, and description — -queer relics and antiquities, 
rare, priceless, unique, and matchless — contributions by the 
Honorable East India Company, of the productions of 
Hindostan, and of fine work in gold, silver, ivory, sandal* 
wood, porcelain, alabaster, &c, some of it of exquisite 
delicacy and beauty of workmanship. Valuable Grobelin 
tapestries ; portraits and miniatures on ivory ; drawings 
and paintings in water colors — indeed a vast collection of 
everything that is chaste, elegant, and tasteful. Rembrandt, 
Murillo, Salvator Rosa, Rubens, Van Dyke, Velasquez, 
and all the old masters, and every modern one of note, 
are represented, and every first-class painting in the king* 
dom may be here seen. 

Such a feast for taste, imagination, and the love of 
beauty, was never till now spread before human eyes. 
What an entertainment for the painter, the poet, the sculp- 
tor ! for all who retain and cherish an appreciation and 
feeling for the beautiful, the poetical, the ideal ! We 
brought away, treasured up in our mind, countless ideas, 
thoughts, images, scenes, the memory and effects of which 
Time himself will never, we think, be able to erase. 

We left the Exhibition with sincere regret, that our time 
permitted us to give only parts of two days, to what 
might have occupied as many weeks with the greatest 
satisfaction and profit. The multiplicity of rare, curious, 
and useful articles, and of paintings, elegant sculp- 
ture, and relics, presented a field for study that we would 
be well pleased to enlarge upon, for our own edification as 
well as yours ; but we cannot, without extending too 
much, and you must wait till we meet at "our ain fire- 
side." 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 155 

And now adieu for awhile ; for to-morrow we shall he off 
for Paris, where we shall remain ten days or two weeks, 
and then prepare to return to our native land and loved 
home, which we hegin to long to hehold once more, not- 
standing the pleasant times we are having here. You will 
distribute our love as usual. 



LETTER No. IX. 

Paris, France, September 16th, 1857. 
Dear Mother F * * * # : 

We last sent you our adieu on leaving Manchester, and 
its Exhibition, but did not say the half we wished to 
about it or the city, and shall not now be able to, though 
we shall doubtless say as much as you will want to weary 
yourself with reading. 

The collection of paintings, statuary, and curiosities 
there, was so remarkable, so extensive, and so unlike any 
other ever before gathered together, or likely to be, that a 
few words more about it will not be amiss. You know 
there is an aroma in a beautiful flower garden, a delicate 
perfume from a sweet bouquet, and a peculiar charm in a 
circle of refinement and beauty ; so there was there, so to 
speak, an atmosphere of beauty and genius ; and the va- 
riety of beautiful objects diffused over and through us, and 
all others we heard speak of it, a peculiar feeling and en- 
joyment, such as we never before experienced. There was 
poetry hanging on the walls, poetry in all the halls, indeed 
poetry everywhere. These lovely emanations and embodi- 
ments of genius, are the private property adorning the 
many mansions of the gentlemen and noblemen of the 
kingdom. Paintings, ancient and modern, the oldest and 



15S NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

noblest of the art, as well as those of our own day, pro- 
ductions not unworthy of modern genius, were to be seen 
by hundreds and thousands ! And how lovely and life-like 
were the pure marble forms, almost breathing and speak- 
ing ! filling the soul with inexpressible pleasure ! 

The glorious forms of gods and goddesses, kings and 
queens, heroes and heroines — faithful representations of 
howling storms ; dark, sublime night ; fierce tempests ; the 
fiercer passions of man, rage, hate, envy ; wan, grim-visaged 
despair — the soft, cheerful, and delicate landscape — the 
peaceful lake and gentle river — the rushing flood, and the 
raging sea, in all its moods — the serene and golden sunset 
over peaceful rural scenes, or rugged and snow-capped 
Alpine peaks — of wide-spreading plains and deserts, and 
mountain ranges of towering grandeur — and then the heav- 
enly Madonnas, the Holy Children — faces humorous and 
sad — visions of angels, forms of demons, dark woods and 
daisied lawns, spring's cheerful green, autumn's ripening 
harvests, falling leaves, and splendid hues — in short, earth, 
heaven and hell, and imagination itself, seem to have been 
ransacked for scenes and objects real and ideal. And yet 
this most magnificent exhibition, it is said, is not properly 
appreciated by the British people, and does not pay the ne- 
cessary expenses attending it ! If this be true, how devoid 
of taste — how insensible to the charms of the Fine Arts — 
such a people must be ! The " Times" thunders forth its 
anathemas against this indifference at a tremendous rate, 
and berates the Manchester people severely for not having 
the Exhibition in London. 

Eve at the Fountain, Three Cherub Children at Play, 
the Dead Child, Paul and Virginia, Adam and Eve before 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 159 

their expulsion from -Paradise, and again after their ex- 
pulsion ; the Greek Slave of Powers, the Flower Girl, 
Spring, Autumn, Summer, Winter ; and many others 
too numerous to enumerate, show the perfection of the 
wonderful art of the sculptor. We looked upon them with 
many new ideas of the pure and beautiful and lovely of 
earth, and so we think must every one that has capacity 
to appreciate either. 

Plow happy we would have been to have had you all 
there ! Indeed it is a pity that the spectacle cannot be 
witnessed by all civilized people. The refining influence 
of such a display of the glorious achievements of art is in- 
calculable ; the thousands and tens of thousands that wit- 
ness it are filled with wonder and the deepest admiration. 
Our memory often recurs with the greatest pleasure and 
satisfaction to some striking picture, some beautiful design 
we saw there, and we hope through life to be able con- 
stantly to draw pure and elevating pleasure from what we 
brought away in our mind from the Art Treasure Exhi- 
bition. 

Leaving Manchester we reached London by the express 
train of the North-western Railway, which we found to be 
the best road we had been over in England. The track 
was uncommonly smooth, and we rode the (to us at least) 
astonishing distance of eighty-two miles without stopping 
the engine or relaxing our speed of thirty-five miles per 
hour ! This was surely a long pull. Coke is exclusively 
used for fuel, and the tanks or tenders to the engines hold 
more than ours, though ordinarily they do not look so large. 
The display of brass and ornamental work on the engine 
is very sparing ; generally, indeed, there is none at all. 



160 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

The country scenery was even more beautiful, if pos- 
sible, than any we had yet passed through, and our ride as 
delightful as heart could wish. On the route we noticed 
several noble mansions, lordly castles, and lovely parks. 
Traversing this route we were but a few miles distant 
from the celebrated Warwick Castle and grounds, and the 
still more celebrated birth-place of the Bard of Avon. "We 
almost felt as if we were doing wrong to pass it so near 
without stopping to pay our homage to his memory ; but 
sickness had taken from us the time we had set apart 
for this and many other pleasures. 

After an unwilling day's rest, (for the period allotted for 
our rambles on this side of the Atlantic was rapidly com- 
ing to a close,) we hurried over to this gay and brilliant 
metropolis of fair France. To get here we took the South- 
eastern Railway to Dover, which we reached at 12 M. ; 
we were obliged to stay there till 4 P. M. So we looked 
round the town — a quaint old place, most of it lying under 
the towering cliffs of chalk. Before it is the very fine har- 
bor, above is the commanding and famous castle. The 
day being rainy and stormy, we were much inclined to 
prolong our stay on terra firma : not that we found it so 
pleasant on land, but we feared it would be still less pleas- 
ant at sea, although the passage across is a short one — ac- 
cording to the saying we heard, that " a pie hot in Dover 
is just cool enough to eat, at Calais." Finally, however, 
we ventured on board the steamship " Queen," and on our 
way across the Channel had such a rolling and tumbling 
as we never wish to have again. This Channel, you know, 
is proverbially rough, and it happened to be in its roughest 
condition when we were crossing it. We manfully re- 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 161 

mained on deck during the whole time, defying the furious 
wind and admiring the foaming, tossing, tumbling waves. 
The sea was indeed a glorious sight. One might easily 
fancy there was 

" A spirit in the storm, and a voice in every blast." 

The waves 

" Seemed mad with bliss ; they rose in glory crowned 
Then sank into the vast abyss in reverence profound." 

But our excellent steamer seemed to care little for wind 
or wave. In two hours and a half she was moored at the 
Calais wharf. The custom-house officers took about half 
an hour to make their examination, which they conducted 
in a polite and gentlemanly manner, looked at and recorded 
our passports, and we found comfortable quarters at Meu- 
rice's Hotel, a passably good house, nearly in the centre 
of the town of Calais, a distinguished and ancient seaport 
town, in the dominions of His Imperial Majesty Napoleon 
III. 

La, Belle France now lay all before us, and its genial 
skies above our head, and we trod upon her soil with grati- 
tude, and not a little respect, for we remembered how the 
blood of her warlike sons was freely poured forth and her 
treasure generously bestowed, in helping to make free our 
loved native land. "We remembered, too, that, though tyr- 
anny had often held its sway over her generous people, and 
the counsels and passions of frenzied men had sometimes 
divided her vast energies, still a Lafayette and a Ro- 
chambeau, and many noble and admirable men, were born 



162 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

beneath her skies ; and that among her sons were many 
good and great men, of genius and worth, and renown, dis- 
tinguished in arts and arms, by the pen and by the sword, 
by the power of mind and by glorious deeds — men, whose 
names are written high upon the roll of fame, and con- 
spicuous among the good and true of earth. 

One of the first things that struck us on entering France 
was the soldiery. You meet soldiers everywhere, perform- 
ing police as well as military duty. 

Groing from the custom-house to our hotel we passed 
the outer wall of the fortifications of the city — over the 
ditch and drawbridge — all kept in a good state of repair. 
The streets of the city, though narrow, were quite clean, 
but roughly paved with round stone. The houses were of 
brick and stone, with red-tiled high-pointed roofs, and usu- 
ally built with courts in the centre, in the old semi-Moorish 
style of architecture. The place is of considerable im- 
portance as an entrepot for the trade and travel between 
France and England. It has several lace manufactories of 
considerable magnitude, that give employment to a large 
number of people of both sexes. The other fortifications 
are not on a very large scale, but are immensely steong, 
and said to be well arranged. 

From Calais we took the early morning express train, 
and in nine hours we reached Paris, a distance of two 
hundred miles, considerably tired. The ride was very 
pleasant, and the appearance of the country, (unlike Eng- 
land, for want of green hedges, and the incomparable eme- 
rald green fields,) so closely and carefully cultivated, and 
so beautifully planted with long avenues of trees, with 
green hedges at considerable distances, is very agreeable, 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 163 

open, and cheerful. The great farms and plantations, not 
being fenced or bridged, no marked divisions to be seen, 
gives to the face of the country, to us, a singular appear- 
ance, particularly after traveling in England ; the gently 
undulating and rolling character of the surface, forcibly 
reminded us of our own vast prairies : in fact, the resem- 
blance is so remarkable that one would suppose the coun- 
try, at least from the city of Lille to Douai, to have been 
prairie at one time. When our western lands of this de- 
scription become as closely and extensively cultivated the 
resemblance will be perfect. 

The cultivation of the soil here is most excellent ; every 
farm looks like a garden, and is kept surprisingly clean, 
and free from weeds. The land must be easily tilled, as 
we frequently noticed one horse plowing land on which in 
England probably three would have been employed. 

So far as we have seen, the distinguishing features of 
the country are, its similitude to the surface of our own 
Prairie State — its exceedingly close and careful cultivation 
— its want of division fences — the absence of flocks and 
herds, compared with England, or indeed with our own 
country — its extensive arboriculture — its solid paved roads 
through the country, with very beautiful avenues of trees 
on each side of them, all as straight as a line could be drawn, 
often stretching, for miles and miles, from town to town, 
and many of them very lofty, and undoubtedly very valu- 
able. The tout ensemble is delightful, and imaged to our 
mind our own loved State, in fifty or a hundred years 
hence. 

It was very singular to us to notice that the cultiva- 
tors of the soil, those who perform the farm labor, all live 

7# 



164 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

in hamlets, villages, and towns, instead of, as with us, and 
in England, in Cottages and farm-houses, scattered over the 
land. In many places one can see, for miles and miles, 
these closely-cultivated grounds, and not a house, barn or 
shed, for man or beast, all being clustered together, with 
their multitude of stacks and ricks, at the village. This 
must be inconvenient for the laborer, and waste much 
precious time, and certainly is not evidence of good man- 
agement or economy in any sense. 

We saw several fine canals, and occasionally beautiful 
lawns, parks, and forests, as well as pretty chateaus and 
neat cottages. We saw women and children in the fields 
everywhere, and even tugging away at the tow-rope of the 
canal boats, quite heavily laden, which caused our ideas of 
French civilization, not to say anything of their proverbial 
gallantry and politeness, to fall somewhere about to zero. 
Large fields of sugar beets are frequent, and extensive 
mills, with towering chimneys, for manufacturing the 
sugar. 

We passed through several fine old towns, among which 
we noticed particularly Lille and Douai, both fortified, and 
looking quite flourishing, having extensive manufacturing 
establishments of various kinds, and beautiful cathedrals 
and churches, whose spires and turrets rose high above 
the embowering trees, and long streets of comfortable look- 
ing dwellings. At and near Lille there were a multitude 
of windmills ; in one view we counted no less than eighty- 
three, with their great outstretched arms, turning round 
and round, ready for a combat with any Quixotic foe that 
might chance to come along. It was a singular sight, and 
put us in mind of the worthy Don and his faithful Sancho 
Panza. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 165 

bearing Paris, we entered the charming valley of the 
Seine ; the nearer we approach the city, with the ex- 
ception of some barren lands, a few miles from it, the more 
and more closely cultivated is the undulating and beauti- 
ful country. Towns- and villages succeed each other on 
both sides of the gently flowing river, and the earth devel- 
ops its richness in valley, and on hill-side and plain, judg- 
ing by the fine gardens, the orchards of delicious looking 
fruits, and the full-bearing vineyards. The harvest already 
gathered and garnered has been abundant, and from the 
appearance of the fruit, and the vine, we judge the whole 
land has this year, as in our own country, yielded its pro- 
duce freely and abundantly. 

About five o'clock, P. M., we arrived at the depot, Place 
de la Dunkerque, a very large and convenient one, having 
a court 156 feet long, and 120 feet wide, flanked by two 
lofty porticoes, supported by cast-iron pillars, and a vesti- 
bule 165 feet long and 36 feet wide. The front is Ionic, 
and very tasteful indeed. There are also large waiting 
rooms, baggage rooms, &o. The principal waiting-room 
is 108 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 27 high. The building 
under which the trains stand is 300 feet long, sup- 
ported by 25 cast-iron columns, and 19 heavy arches. 
After a second informal examination of our baggage, we 
were placed in a buss, and rolled away over the pavements 
to our quarters. The streets through which we passed, 
Rue Lafayette, Faubourg Poissonniere, Rue Richelieu, 
and Rue St. Honore, were rather narrow, well, but 
roughly, paved, built upon each side with high, clean, and 
solid-looking buildings of stone and brick, and most of 
them painted white. 



166 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

Our hotel being in the Rue St. Honore, almost in 
the centre of the city, and hut a few steps from the 
Palace of the Tuileries, the Louvre, Place du Car- 
rousel, or Place Napoleon, and splendid Rue Rivoli, after 
partaking of a short dejeuner, we sallied forth to see what 
we might, hy way of introduction to the city ; and though 
we were prepared to see much splendor, we were con- 
siderably surprised at the outward magnificence of the 
"buildings, and the brisk and business-like appearance of 
the streets we passed through. The public buildings 
above-mentioned, pleased us highly ; and that street of 
streets, the Rue Rivoli, is truly grand. The long massive, 
yet elegant, arcade, on the right, as one looks westward, 
constitutes one of its principal features ; and the old and 
new Louvre, the Place du Carrousel, or Place Napoleon, the 
Tuileries, with its splendid garden and handsome iron 
railings with gilt points, and the lovely Champs Elysees, 
on the opposite side, form a vista such as is nowhere else 
to be seen ; and no person can fully realize how charming 
the view is without seeing it. Well may the Parisian 
love Paris, and point to it always with pride and enthu- 
siasm. In many respects it has no parallel. Her private 
buildings are palaces, and her royal residences and public 
buildings cities of themselves ; while her gardens, places, 
the Bois de Boulogne, and the extensive boulevards, where 
beauty, wealth and fashion display themselves, all com- 
bine to form a scene of varied beauty and attraction of 
which one never wearies. 

The first public building we notice is the royal residence 
of the present dynasty, the Tuileries. It was com- 
menced, and partly finished, by the celebrated Catherine 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. , 167 

de Medieis, in the year 1564, and has "been the residence 
of the kings and emperors from that time till now, with 
some short intervals. It is an irregular, but a very 
splendid pile of buildings, and excites the liveliest interest 
for its numerous historical associations. It is finished 
with wonderful beauty, though not constructed with 
uniformity in all its parts, having been built at different 
times, and by several different architects. The extreme 
length is over one thousand feet, and one hundred and 
eighteen feet wide, extending from the famed Rue Rivoli 
to the river Seine. The stories are each very different 
in style ; still the whole is unique, and produces an uncom- 
monly fine effect— the first being Ionic, the second Corin- 
thian, and the upper and last a mixture of both. The 
lofty windows, and still more lofty and steep-sided roof, 
the antique and exceedingly chaste and ornamental 
pilasters, the entablatures, columns, scrolled, carved, and 
figured work, altogether present a most remarkable com- 
posite building. The interior is exceedingly magnificent. 
The paintings, vases, tapestries, elaborate furniture, gild- 
ing, and frescoes, altogether give to the interior a splendor 
that can scarcely be excelled, (xenius would seem to 
have exhausted itself in some of the wonderful decorations 
in these halls. The Tuileries have long been acknowl- 
edged to surpass every palace in Europe except Versailles ; 
and the present Emperor, aided by the exquisite taste of 
Eugenie, which is undeniable, notwithstanding her patron- 
age of the favorite sport of her country, the bull fight, 
has greatly increased its former magnificence. What 
astonishing changes, what startling events have transpired 
within these splendid halls — and that almost within these 



168 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

comparatively few years. Here royalty has sat in all its 
show, and pride, and state, and indulged in mad midnight 
revelries ; here the nobility, the statesmen, the reigning 
beauties of France, have met and paraded and intrigued ; 
the times change, and it becomes a hospital, and the dis- 
eased and dying occupy its apartments ; or a terrible 
tribunal meets in it, ruling France, astonishing Europe, by 
the sword, by the guillotine, by a Reign of Terror ; then 
Napoleon appears and plays his part ; and Josephine — 
so strangely elevated, so cruelly humiliated — here she long 
dwelt in splendor, in uncomplaining sorrow. Well, let us 
enter this interesting edifice. 

At the grand entrance, the Imperial Gruard, in his 
splendid uniform, attracts particular attention, for he is a 
model soldier. At a side office, after exhibiting our 
tickets, (to be procured only by personal or written applica- 
tion to M. Le General Rolin, the Adjutant- General of the 
Imperial Palace,) we were conducted up one of the minor 
side staircases, the escalier de la chapelle, to the state 
apartments only. The private apartments are now never 
opened to the public, except by an extraordinary vise of 
his present Imperial Majesty Napoleon III., or when per- 
sonally introduced by him or the Empress. 

The state apartments are, indeed, gorgeously decorated 
with gold, and crimson, and green velvet hangings, and 
richest embroideries, with the fleur-de-lis and the little 
"busy bee," (national emblems with the French,) and 
great splendid chandeliers, and magnificent fresco paintings, 
and gems of art and taste that still sparkle in our minds 
like the glowing light of diamonds — figures whose lovely 
forms and features are so striking and perfect, that, 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 169 

gazing upon them, we have, in almost unbounded rap- 
ture of admiration, satiated all our capacity to love and 
wonder. 

The Empress's chapel, within the Palace, is small, but 
very beautiful, and contains some extraordinary, and 
almost invaluable, paintings. The seats are all cushioned 
with crimson velvet. There is also a very elegant theatre, 
with a vaulted ceiling, supported by Ionic columns, 
around the entire room ; it has two tiers of boxes and 
a pit. 

The view of the garden of the Tuileries, from the win- 
dow nearest the top of the grand staircase, is very fine, 
and we thought could hardly be surpassed ; we were mis- 
taken, for, going a little further on, and stepping out on 
the grand window or semi-balcony, the spectator looks 
over a scene that is quite elysian. He beholds fountains 
casting their silvery spray into the scented air as high as 
the tops of tall trees ; numerous marble statues of nymphs, 
heroes, gods, and goddesses ; the parterres of fresh bloom- 
ing flowers, perfuming the atmosphere with delicious 
fragrance: the extensive Champs Ely sees; the grand Arc 
de Triomphe — all combining to form such a landscape, 
such a delightful mingling of the beauties of art and 
the attractions of nature as can nowhere be found but 
in La Belle France. 

The central saloon, called the Marshal's Saloon, is a 
stately hall, of a remarkable and grand design, and we 
thought it the noblest apartment of all, perhaps because 
it contains the "noblest Romans" of them all. It is 
square, and two stories in height, with a handsome gallery 
on each side. It is adorned with full-length portraits of 



170 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

Napoleon's great marshals, painted by the best French 
masters. Under each portrait, stands also a marble bust 
of the same personage, raised on a fluted pedestal. The 
fresco, gilding and cornices of this saloon are extraordinary, 
and are so arranged as to increase very considerably its 
apparent height. In one of the apartments, we observed 
a magnificent painting of the present Emperor ; he is re- 
presented on horseback as Marshal of France. It is a 
faithful likeness, and is considered one of the finest pic- 
tures that have been produced by the artists of the present 
age. 

We would like to give you some adequate idea of the 
splendour of the Ball-room, and the Throne-room — a 
splendor that actually surprises one, even by daylight, 
and which must be wonderfully enhanced when the im- 
mense chandeliers give forth their thousand flaming jets, 
causing the countless pendants to sparkle with an infinity 
of rays, and brilliantly illumining the paintings, statuary, 
rich tapestry, and all the gorgeous and delicate furniture 
and ornaments — the whole multiplied and reproduced by 
the enormous mirrors. 

One experiences a feeling of relief on emerging from 
amidst all this show, luxury, and artificial grandeur, and 
standing in the open air, beneath the blue sky. Fronting 
the main entrance of the Tuileries is the justly celebrated 
triumphal arch erected by the first Napoleon in 1806. It 
is supported by eight columns of Lauguedoc marble, with 
bases and capitals of bronze. Surmounting the arch is a 
fine colossal representation of Victory — a car and four 
horses — in bronze. And statues of Victory and Peace, His- 
tory and France, stand upon the great gate columns. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 171 

This entrance also faces the Place de Carrousel, the Place 
Napoleon III., and the west front of the old Louvre, the 
noblest pile of buildings that can be seen in the whole 
world. Here we took our stand and surveyed the un- 
equaled scene in wonder and admiration. We had never 
imagined that architecture could produce such grand 
effects. "We scrutinized, examined, and gazed upon this 
most extraordinary facade with a sense of unmingled satis- 
faction ; never had we seen any work of "art or of nature 
that so strongly appealed to our sense of the beautiful. 
This you may think an excess of enthusiam, but not so 
those who have stood upon this spot and surveyed this 
scene, and who can justly appreciate the noblest works of 
God or man. The old Louvre and the Tuileries have 
always been pronounced by the most competent judges of 
architecture to rank among the finest buildings in the 
world ; but these, combined with the new Louvre, the 
Place de Carrousel, or Place Napoleon III., now externally 
complete, present, in one view, a varied, extensive, and 
beautiful architectural display that is unrivaled. 

We are told that at the building of Solomon's Temple — 

"No hammer fell, no ponderous axes rung : 
Like some tall palm the mystic fabric sprung. 
Majestic silence !" 

So the new work here ; and such was the magical 
rapidity of its execution, by day and by night, without 
any cessation, that thousands of Parisians scarcely knew 
the time of the commencement of the work, when the 
whole was outwardly finished, and presented such beauty, 
uniformity, and solidity, and gave such satisfaction to all 



172 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

beholders, that people almost fancied it an illusion! It 
was the consummation of the union of the Louvre and the 
Tuileries — a project long desired by successive rulers — 
effected, as it were, in a moment, by the wand of an en- 
chanter. The whole now stands finished, grand and 
beautiful, doubtless to endure as long as any other human 
work — a noble and enduring monument of the sagacity 
and indomitable energy of the Emperor Napoleon III. 

The finishing of the Rue Rivoli, the beautifying of the 
Place du Carrousel as well as the old boulevards, the open- 
ing new boulevards and thoroughfares — these and other 
improvements are continually adding to the beauty of this 
fine city, at a cost which would be almost incredible and 
quite preposterous to the citizens of our economical coun- 
try. 

The present Emperor, Louis Napoleon, to whom Paris 
is indebted for these alterations, is as great a man in his 
way as was the great Napoleon ; and though we all may 
have despised his conduct and character, and looked upon 
him as a chance king or emperor, as well as an impudent 
and brazen-faced interloping usurper, every hour may 
be said to give fresh proof of his far-seeing sagacity and 
his prudence. By improving and adorning Paris (and 
Paris is France, recollect,) he provides labor for the poor. 
Evidently his ambition is to place the nation over which 
he rules foremost among the nations of the earth, even on 
the highest pinnacle of national power. And this man 
has risen by his own resources of intellect from nobody, as 
it were, to be one of the first potentates of the world. Every 
day now witnesses the strengthening of his influence at 
home, and the extension of his power abroad. He is a 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 173 

"bold, and, no doubt, an unscrupulous man ; never hesi- 
tating as to means if they will but enable him to attain 
his end ; cool, sagacious, calculating, in all his plans- 
He seems to know the wants of Frenchmen, and so 
far, under his administration of the laws, notwithstand- 
ing his enormous assumptions and usurpations, has man- 
aged to tickle their fancy, satisfy their vanity, and play 
the various factions and parties against each other very in- 
geniously, while at the same time he has consolidated the 
powers of government, strengthened and enlarged the re- 
sources of France, elevated her in the scale of nations, not 
forgetting to feather his own nest, and reward his own 
labors and services by surrounding himself with luxury 
and pomp, and wielding the imperial sceptre over the 
destinies of the nation that arrogates to herself the honor 
of leading the van of civilization. The pages of history 
do not present his parallel. Indeed, his is a master 
spirit — the diplomacy of Europe feels it at every pulsation 
and at each political movement ; and while the world and 
statesmen at large were looking upon him with sneers and 
derision, if not contempt, he has moved on, apparently 
without fear or favor, and has been the guiding spirit of 
the storms and whirlwinds of the political atmosphere of 
one hemisphere at least — the other not being entirely be- 
yond his influence ; for instance, in that " spec of war" 
which threatened on the western horizon, in the late diffi- 
culties between Spain and Mexico. However, we did not 
intend to eulogize or criticize the character of this or that 
man ; but the stranger, and no doubt the citizen also, and 
still more palpably, sees everywhere in Paris the hand of 
Louis Napoleon. 



174 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

To return : passing up the Rue Rivoli we came to the 
Hotel de Ville, a very magnificent pile, in the Rennaissant 
style of architecture, forming, as near as may be, a paral- 
lelogram, towered at the four corners, and is one of the 
finest and largest buildings of Paris. Its historical asso- 
ciations in the various civil and religious commotions of 
France, are known to all readers of history, but especially 
will this renowned place be remembered as the council 
house of the horrible Robespierre, and his blood-thirsty 
crew — the immediate neighborhood of the infamous mur- 
ders of the awful Bartholomew's Eve — the place where 
Louis Phillippe was presented by the great Lafayette to 
the French people as their king, in 1830, and of Lamar- 
tine's heroism in 1848, when he, at the risk of his life, 
proclaimed to the excited and frenzied populace, assem- 
bled in tens of thousands, fierce for blood and plunder, that 
the red flag should never be the national flag of France. 

Just east of this palace are situated the great Napoleon 
barracks, the largest in Paris, and usually filled with troop* 
of the line and National Guards ; and near by is the cele- 
brated Church of St. Grermain, whose bell first sounded the 
tocsin for the massacre of St. Bartholomew. The church 
contains nothing particularly remarkable, except its old 
bell ; and unless repaired it will, in a few years, be 
little else than a ruin. On its outside wall, immedi- 
ately over the entrance, may be traced the inscription, 
" Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite." It suggested a train of 
terrible associations ; destruction and blood we could read 
upon its walls, as well as this mocking inscription ! And it 
seemed to us not a little singular that these memorable 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 175 

words should remain here, when obliterated almost every- 
where else ; for we have seen it in but one other place. 

A few minutes' walk brought us beneath the shade of the 
renowned Notre Dame : an immense and imposing edifice ! 
Its remarkable associations with the greatest historical 
events of France, its vast, massive, and lofty proportions, 
end its antiquity, make it an object of deep interest. Its 
magnitude may perhaps be better estimated when you re- 
member the length of time it was in building — nearfy 
three hundred years — though the work was not proceeding 
all the time, as during the wars, revolutions, and insurrec- 
tions its progress was completely suspended, The form is 
that of the Latin cross, with enormous buttresses, and two 
lofty towers, the front being elaborately ornamented with 
figures, and sculptures of saints and patriarchs, represent- 
ations of important events in the history of the Church of 
Rome and of the Old and New Testament. 

In some respects, Notre Dame is to France what "West- 
minster Abbey is to England. But it is not so honored and 
hallowed by the remains of distinguished and great men, 
for many of the kings and princes, and eminent statesmen 
and soldiers, lie buried at St. Denis ; and there are, com- 
paratively speaking, but few tombs, monuments, statues, 
and tablets to be seen in the French cathedral. 

On entering by the great doors, you behold before you 
the extensive nave, divided by two long rows of pillars, 
numbering in all a hundred and twenty, supporting high 
pointed arches, forming, in fact, three naves. The transept 
is one hundred and forty-four feet wide. The roof is vault- 
ed, and is one hundred and two feet from the mosaic mar- 
ble floor. It is composed of stone, cement, and chesnut- 



176 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

wood. "We were somewhat disappointed with the appear* 
ance of the interior, after having had our expectations and 
imagination excited by the grandeur of the exterior. 

The lofty finely proportioned columns and arches 
are papered — yes, actually papered — and with very 
tawdry and flashy paper, too ; which in many places had 
broken and pealed off, and was hanging dangling in the 
air, presenting to the visitor a strangely poverty-stricken, 
wretched appearance, instead of the grandeur and beauty 
and solidity, he expects to find, corresponding with the ex- 
terior, and in so famous a cathedral, where kings and em- 
perors have been, from time immemorial, crowned, or 
where they have crowned themselves. The vaulting of the 
roof has been covered with sky-blue paper, and from leak- 
age has become water-soaked, moulded, and sadly discol- 
ored. The iron work on the great doors, the iron railing 
about the stairs, the high altar of Languedoc marble, with 
the rich canopy above it — the groups of fair sculpture, 
representing the Descent from the Cross — the numbers of 
paintings on the walls and in the chapels, scenes in the life, 
passion, death, and resurrection of the Saviour, by eminent 
masters — the four rose- windows, of fine stained glass, each 
thirty-six feet in diameter, representing scenes in the life 
of Christ — the numerous private chapels — the immense 
organ, forty-five feet high, having three thousand four hun- 
dred and eighty-four pipes — the handsomely carved wain- 
scoting, and some quite elaborate tracery work, though this 
has been considerably mutilated by time and the sacking 
of 1793 — the magnificent chancel, and the carved work of 
the old stalls, with decorated bas-reliefs of the principal 
events in the life of the Virgin — all these things are well 
worthy of examination, and give a high degree of attrac- 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 177 

tion and interest to the structure, notwithstanding the 
dilapidated appearance that strikes and disagreeably sur- 
prises the stranger. The vestments of the priests and offi- 
cers, however, are rich and in good condition, and of these 
there is an uncommonly abundant quantity, and many of 
them sparkle with very valuable jewels. The sacristy is 
decorated with splendid portraits of twenty-four of the 
bishops, and cost over a million of francs. On the great 
high altar are seven enormous golden candlesticks, and an 
immense gold cross. We also, while here, had the privi* 
lege of hearing and seeing the celebration of high mass, 
which was gorgeous and imposing. The singing was sub- 
lime, swelling with solemn grandeur through the lofty 
arches, and dying away in sweet cadences, as it seemed to 
descend and float around and among the congregation. 
The bold and mellow tenor, the deep-toned bass, the 
sweet and floating alto, and the delicate and melodious air, 
rose and fell, and melted away so strangely and softly 
around us, that we were willingly absorbed in listening to 
the sweet and solemn sounds. 

We left this venerable old cathedral with almost a feel- 
ing of commiseration for it. Certainly it is much to be re- 
gretted that so grand and important an edifice should 
suffer such neglect, disfigurement and, dilapidation. And 
still, notwithstanding what it has endured from time and 
from man, there is much about it that is solemn and beau- 
tiful, and it attracts the attention of every passer-by, 
thoughtful and frivolous, Christian and infidel. 

We next took a cab, and made our way to the Madeline. 
It is really magnificent, and displays in all its chaste 
beauty, the architectural glories of ancient Greece, The 



178 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

front view, with the peristyle in perspective, is certainly- 
one of the finest imaginable. The whole building is three 
hundred and twenty-eight feet long, one hundred and 
twenty-eight feet wide, and is approached by a grand flight 
of twenty-eight stone steps, both front and rear. The 
facades are all exquisite. The roof is supported by fifty- 
two fluted Corinthian columns, each fifty feet high, twelve 
feet in circumference, with appropriate pedestals, and caps 
of elegant workmanship. The alto-relievo on the southern 
and principal front is remarkably beautiful, representing 
the Last Judgment, and nothing can £>e more elaborate in 
detail or more perfect in symmetry and execution. We 
looked upon this extraordinary work of art with wonder. 
The whole building is deservedly one of the most attrac- 
tive in Paris to most visitors. Midway between each 
column, round the entire building, are niches in the walls, 
in which are placed life-sized figures of the Saints. The 
roof is of iron ; the massive doors are of bronze, richly 
ornamented, and it is said there is not a particle of wood- 
work about the building. 

On entering the lofty doors, a scene of unwonted beauty 
and splendor bursts upon the vision. The light is from 
above, entering through three noble domes, decorated with 
superb frescoes ; the whole inside is of marble, with pro- 
fuse gilding ; the effect is grand and magnificent beyond 
description. We looked and looked upon it again and 
again with admiration and delight ; no defect, no excess, 
nothing to wish for, nothing to interfere with the perfec- 
tion of grace and proportion and grandeur of the noble 
edifice. 

In the construction of the building, every variety of 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 179 

marble work, and marble of almost every shade and 
hue, have been employed. Near the high altar railing are 
four panels on each side, which are supposed to be painted 
representations of running streams of blood. In reality, 
they are entirely composed of marble, no painting being 
used. At a short distance, the effect is quite surprising. 
The altar-piece, Mary and the Child Saviour, in pure 
white marble, supported on either side by adoring angels, 
of the same material, and all of the size of life, are in- 
deed beautiful, as also are the statues of Christ, the Virgin 
Mary, and St. Paul and St. Peter. The few paintings 
are among the best we have seen. The baptismal font- 
piece of Christ and St. John the Baptist at the Waters of 
Jordan, and the Marriage piece, are among the finest pro- 
ductions of the painter's art. The choir, organ, colonnaded 
gallery, and frescoes are all in keeping. Our visit to the 
Madeleine gave us new and enlarged ideas of the splendid 
and beautiful effects capable of being produced by the 
architect. It produced upon our minds and senses an im- 
pression quite distinct from that experienced while gazing 
on the grand old abbeys, and cathedrals, and gorgeous 
palaces we had visited. We turned from it with the 
usual regret we experience that we can take but a 
glance at such master-pieces of genius ; but we have so 
much to see before we leave this city so full of sights — 
if indeed one can be said to see things in such hurried 
visits. 

So far as we have seen Paris, we are highly pleased 
with it ; truly there can be but one Paris. Most of the 
houses are well built, many of them elegantly ; the pri- 
vate dwellings and business houses are substantial ; the 

8 



180 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

streets are usually well paved with stone blocks, or 
asphaltum, and kept clean and fresh. There is no inter- 
minable smoke or dense fog, but a clear, bright, and 
blue sky above ; and the atmosphere is as pure to 
breathe as a city's atmosphere can be. The masses of 
people look as well and as healthy as those of other large 
cities. We must notice, however, that, generally speak- 
ing, the citizens are not so clean as their city. 

On every side there is an air of cheerfulness and gaiety. 
The people seem to live very much out of doors, taking 
their meals at cafes and restaurants; very few seem to 
live much at home. In this respect, how unlike Americans 
or Englishmen, or any people, in fact, who have any ideas 
of comfort ! "We very much doubt whether a genuine 
Parisian knows what we mean by home. 

The Boulevards, gardens, promenades, places of amuse- 
ment, streets, and parks, are literally filled with women 
and children, who apparently regard houses as mere 
dormitories. 

The fountains surpass any we have ever before seen ; 
those in the garden of the Tuileries, Place de la Con- 
corde, and Palais Royale, are indeeed beautiful, and 
afford immense delight and entertainment to admiring 
thousands. 

The police of the city form a fine-looking body, and are 
usually very attentive to their duties, and to the enquiries 
of all strangers ; they carry swords, and have more of a 
military look than would be altogether pleasant to Ameri- 
cans and Englishmen. 

Soldiers are everywhere to be seen in full uniform. 
There are always from 40,000 to 100,000 in barracks in 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 181 

Paris ; those we have seen being a very good-looking set 
of men. Their uniforms are far better than we had sup- 
posed any army equipped with ; many of them are really 
splendid, and we have yet to see a soldier's dress shabby 
or the least out of order. 

The expense of living here is not so high as in London 
or New- York, and people live on a much less quantity of 
food. Wines are plentiful, and of every quality and price. 
Bordeaux is as plentiful and as commonly used as beer 
in England, and we had almost said, as water with us. 
The markets are well stocked with animal food, and we 
have seen and tasted the finest veal here we ever saw in 
any part of the world ; but the beef is not so good as 
John Bull's. Horse meat, which is eaten here consider- 
ably, we have not been able to recognize, nor have we 
seen any hind quarters of the Frenchman's ugly dainty, 
the croaking frog, though they can be had at every 
respectable cafe or restaurant. Bread here is almost 
always good, and in all sized and shaped loaves ; some we 
saw full six feet long ! These may be really called 
the staff of life — -they are not much unlike walking- 
sticks. 

Order reigns in Paris ; every department of public busi- 
ness moving on like clock-work. The people apparently 
have plenty to do, and contentment and cheerfulness are 
generally displayed in the countenances of the ceaseless 
crowd. The army is believed to be unusually loyal and 
devoted to the reigning dynasty. The Emperor is now 
at the encampment at Chalons, personally in command 
of 24,000 of the choicest troops of his "grand armee;" 
thither we intended going to see some of his reviews, but 



182 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

time will not permit us, unless we choose to forego the 
pleasure and profit of visiting some of the many places we 
have made up our minds to see. 

We must now bid you a loving adieu. Our next will 
be about the Pantheon, some of the Churches, Napoleon's 
Tomb, the Hotel des Invalides, Place de la Concorde, and we 
hardly know what else — there are so many things worthy 
of attention and examination— so much we should be 
sorry to leave behind us unseen, in this most splendid and 
interesting city of Paris. 



LETTER No. X. 

Paris, France, September 20th, 1857. 
Dear Father M * * * * : 

Taking our staff in hand (not one of the long loaves men- 
tioned in our last, but a plain walking stick,) we next 
made our way through the Rue St. Honore to the Plaice and 
Column Yendome, erected by order of Napoleon the Great, 
in the year 1806, as a triumphal pillar in commemoration 
of the brilliant successes of the armies of France in the 
Austrian and Prussian campaigns. It is as beautiful as it 
is colossal : formed of nearly 300 plates of bronze metal, 
cast out of twelve hundred pieces of cannon taken from the 
Austrians and Prussians. On these plates, arranged in a 
spiral form, are bas-relief representations of the greatest 
events and battles of the campaign of 1805, up to the 
bloody field of Austerlitz. Its height is 140 feet, ascended 
by 174 steps within the masonry of the column, and the 
top is surmounted by a splendid statue of Napoleon I. — a 
magnificent memorial of that astonishing campaign, and of 
the mighty genius by whom it was conducted. From the 
top of this towering column is a very fine view of the cen- 
tral parts of Paris, and of some of the environs. The 
buildings around it are fine, large, and substantial. 

Having ascended and descended this proud ornament of 
Paris, we took an open carriage to the Pantheon, formerly 



184 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 



a temple, where were to repose the philosophers and other 
great dead of the country, now a magnificent church where 
mass is daily said, and where many of the learned, noble, 
and aristocratic attend. It is a vast and imposing build- 
ing, and as we stood in the open court or square before it, 
it loomed loftily and majestically upward. The great 
porch and tympanum of the portico are exceedingly fine. 
Twenty- two immense fluted columns support it. The large 
allegorical figures representing Grenius and Science on 
either side of France are very imposing and striking. On 
the right are Rousseau, Voltaire, Lafayette, Fenelon, Mira- 
beau, and many other illustrious men, and on the left are 
statues of the most distinguished commanders and soldiers 
of the Republican and Imperial armies. At the feet of 
France are seated History and Liberty inscribing on ever- 
lasting tablets the names of her most illustrious sons, and 
weaving crowns of glory for their reward. Under the 
portico are other bas-reliefs of Grenius, Science, Art, Legis- 
lation, and Patriotism. The whole front is splendid and 
effective. The figures are of colossal yet perfect propor- 
tions. That of France is full fifteen feet high, while all 
the others are in due proportion, and the light and shade 
are made to fall upon them so as to produce the finest pos- 
sible effect. The church is in the form of a Greek cross. 

The inside is not profusely ornamented, but its triple 
dome is a masterpiece of architecture, and as vast as im- 
posing. On the great central dome are frescoes represent- 
ing Justice, Napoleon I., France, and Death. There are 
pictures, many of them among the finest specimens of art, 
representing historical epochs of France, and several of her 
most important personages, covering in all the space of 
3,723 square yards ! The great dome is surmounted by a 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 185 

magnificent lantern four hundred and fifty feet above the 
level of the Seine. In the vaults or crypt beneath the 
marble floor of the church lie entombed Voltaire and 
Rousseau. Their tombs and those of many others, whose 
ashes are here preserved, are very beautiful. 

In this neighborhood are many old and narrow streets 
in which several sanguinary conflicts occurred in 1848 be- 
tween the soldiers and the people. The insurgents at one 
time having obtained possession of the strong walls of this 
church, and barricaded its massive bronze doors, heavy 
pieces of artillery were brought to bear upon it, and after 
several discharges dislodged them. The effects of the shot 
and all signs of violence upon it and upon the buildings in 
the neighborhood have been obliterated. Considerable 
damage was done inside as well as out. The copies of 
the works of Michael Angelo and Rubens, executed by 
able French masters, are considered uncommonly good. 
How much there is in this single edifice inviting and 
worthy of examination ! "We loved to linger among its 
splendors, to admire some single masterpiece, or to view 
from various points the harmony and grandeur of the 
whole. 

We next went to the Jardin des Plantes : a great botani- 
cal and horticultural garden of nearly every living and 
known plant, tree, and flower, and containing a zoological 
collection, in which is found nearly every living animal, 
also museums, library, amphitheatre, immense chemical 
laboratory, and physiological lecture room. The scientific 
men of France as well as the government take great in- 
terest, in this grand establishment. BufTon and Cuvier, 
and many other distinguished names, have contributed 



186 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

much towards making it what it is. It is kept in excel- 
lent order, fragrant with thousands of flowers from all 
quarters of the globe, and is daily frequented by admiring 
crowds, who can hardly fail to be benefited by such a pleas- 
ing and instructive exhibition. The collection of trees 
from foreign countries is large, but we thought not so fine 
and flourishing as in the Royal Kew G-ardens. The foli- 
age is now falling quite rapidly, many of the trees are quite 
bare, at which we were rather surprised, as it is at least 
two or three weeks sooner than the fall is so far advanced 
with us, or even in England, though so near by. This, 
somehow, quite attracted our attraction in this and other 
gardens, as well as in the Champs Elysees and Bois de 
Boulogne. "We saw here for the first time a black panther, 
perfectly jet, and a very pretty creature. Among the ani- 
mals is a huge elephant, the largest we ever beheld, and 
two great hippopotami. These monstrous and ungainly 
animals were disporting themselves in a luxurious bath 
constructed for their comfort ; after frolicking a while in 
the water they quietly lie down, with their great heads 
peeping out, and take a comfortable nap. We also saw 
here some beautiful gazelles, with their large, soft, and 
melting eyes, and they were really dear creatures ! Tom 
Moore's sweet words recurred to memory : — 

And ever thus, since childhood's hour 

I've seen my fondest hopes decay ; 
I never loved a tree or flower 

But 'twas the first to fade away ; 
I never nursed a dear gazelle 

To glad me with its soft black eye, 
But when it came to know me well 

And love me — it was sure to die ! 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 187 

As in the Regent's Zoological Gardens, London, there 
are here lions, tigers, leopards, bears, monkeys, &c. "We 
observed sheep of various breeds ; Cashmere goats, lamas, 
the four-horned antelope ; storks, ostriches, and numerous 
birds and reptiles abound ; there are several specimens of 
the yak, or Thibet ox, with long soft hair, and silky and 
bushy tails, dragging on the ground ; some fine sheep with 
enormous fleeces, and tails so fat that when boiled they 
yield fifteen pounds of tallow each — sent from Asia Minor 
to France by the renowned chief Abdel-Kader ; the 
cream-colored Hungarian oxen, very slim built, but with 
elk-like, wide, branching horns, tapered at the points like 
needles, and the noble giraffes, with their long necks, 
reaching nearly twenty feet high — these, and many other 
animals were very interesting and curious novelties to us. 
We were necessarily hurried in our observations, for we 
were determined to see all we could see. 

The garden is rather contracted for its extensive collec- 
tion, and must be often considerably crowded. The walks 
are less carefully attended to than any other garden we 
have had the pleasure of going into, and were quite 
dusty. 

Having seen all we conveniently could at the Jardin 
des Plantes, we made our way to the Palace of the Lux- 
embourg, the present Senate Chamber of the Peers of 
Prance. The facade of this palace struck us, as we ap- 
proached it, as being very beautiful and bold. It connects 
two large pavilions by terraces, as well as two arcaded 
corridors, from the centre of which grandly rises a splendid 
cupola, adorned with fine statues. This was once a favor- 
ite royal residence, then for a time a ruin, and is now occu- 

8* 



188 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

pied by the Senate. Here Catharine de Medici lived, 
also Louis Eighteenth ; and Josephine Beauharnais, after- 
wards the Empress, and her first husband, were con- 
fined here. The infamous Directory was held here, and 
here, too, the Chamber of Peers was created. 

The grand staircase is very lofty and effective. Ascend- 
ing its easy steps, we entered the state apartments, now 
used by the members of the Senate. The first room is 
called the Salle des G-ardes, and is adorned with statues of 
Solon, Cicero, Aristides, Cincinnatus, Leonidas ; and also 
those of some distinguished French statesmen, all very 
much to be admired, as they will bear the severest scru- 
tiny. Next is the Salle d'Attente, with a splendid statue 
of Julius Csesar, the first conqueror of ancient Graul ; and 
some excellent paintings in fresco. Adjoining is the Salle 
des Messages, adorned with a few choice gems of painting, 
marble busts of numerous distinguees, and still more 
charming frescoes, representing Aurora, Prudence, Charles 
the Ninth receiving the keys of Paris, Charlemagne, &c. 
The softness of the coloring and delicacy of shading in this 
room are unsurpassed. 

"We next entered the Salle du Trone. You can form no 
true idea of the gorgeousness and splendor, the truly regal 
magnificence of this room, without seeing it. Its sculpture, 
delicate carving, gilding, frescoes, and treble ceilings, 
one above, and again above, the other, forming almost an 
arch, are indescribably beautiful. Indeed we could but 
think of the magnificent hanging gardens, and exclaim, 
with Milton, 

'V^ot Babylon, 
Nor great Alcairo, such magnificence 
Equalled in all their glories. " 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 189 

It is adorned with some celebrated paintings. The one 
representing Napoleon I., when elected Emperor, the 
display of the forty flags taken in the battle of Austerlitz, 
and his visit to the Hotel des Invalides, among his war- 
worn veterans, are exceedingly attractive. 

The library, which is a gallery the whole length of one 
fagade, is well-filled, and handsomely fitted up, as is also 
the bust-room, indeed ail the galleries are pleasant as art 
can make them. 

The Salle du Senat, where the Chamber of Peers as- 
semble, and hold their official sittings, is semi-circular, 
with a light vaulted roof, allegorically painted, representing 
Law, Wisdom, Patriotism, and Justice. The vaulting is 
supported by graceful Ionic marble columns. The recess 
for the President of the Senate's chair is very fine, .and 
around it are arranged statues of several noble and learned 
men. There are also numerous niches filled with marble 
statues of statesmen and military heroes. The furniture 
is not extravagant, and the tout ensemble of the chamber 
is substantial and agreeable, giving the place an appropri- 
ate air of solemnity, dignity, and order. 

There are other rooms equally splendid with those we 
first entered, and hung with delightful paintings, among 
which we particularly noted one of Napoleon I. distri- 
buting the Eagles of -France to the Army, a very splen- 
did picture by an eminent French artist ; also another, of 
Napoleon Third returning from the Palace of St. Cloud ; 
and a third, representing his marriage with the Empress 
Eugenie — all master pieces. 

Descending a side staircase, we entered the once private 
room of Catherine de Medici, in the same order in which 



190 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

she left it at her death, and decorated with some fine 
paintings by Rubens, Campana, and Poussin. The 
centre-piece of the ceiling is also by Rubens, and very 
beautifully executed. The chairs, &c, are covered with 
gold and crimson velvet, and the cornices and panels 
richly painted and gilt. In the chapel are some very line 
paintings ; one we particularly examined and admired, the 
Adoration of the Shepherds, by White, an American artist. 
There are medallions, representing angels, each holding a 
symbol of the Passion ; the Angel and two sweet chil- 
dren ; the Marriage of the Virgin ; but the most surprising 
to us, partly on account of the subject, was the magnifi- 
cent altar-piece, representing the Throne of God ! 

We saw in one of the apartments the arm-chairs used 
at the coronation of the first Napoleon ; we also were shown 
a room in which the marriage contracts of all the senators' 
daughters are signed and ratified. 

We again ascended to the fine old picture galleries, libe- 
rally supplied with specimens of the oldest and choicest of 
paintings. There were originally about thirty of Rubens' 
best here, collected by Maria de Medici, and the walls are 
now hung with some by Paul de la Roche, Horace Yernet, 
and one or two by Michael Angelo. The most of them, 
however, are the works of modern masters, noted for gen- 
ius ; but all these pieces are continually changing to the 
Louvre, it being a rule to remove those hanging here, on 
the decease of the artist, for exhibition at the Louvre. 

On leaving these regal halls and galleries, so replete 
with the labors of genius, we felt the regret we have so 
often experienced, that our time was so limited. But 
these are flowery fields of beauty, only to be hastily flut- 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 191 

tered over, as the little Lee hovers over the sweet blooming 
flower garden ; but some of their beauties will be treasured 
up, brought forth from the cells of our imagination, and, 
one by one, lingered over to our heart's entire satisfaction. 

The garden attached to this palace is the most artistic- 
ally arranged of any in Paris. The groves of noble trees, 
the fine terraces, the multitude of statuary, the admirable 
fountains, and the delightful parterres and orangery, 
all combine to form a pleasure garden in which even royal 
luxury may find pleasure. There are also several hand- 
some avenues, and one " grande avenue," that is quite 
charming. About half-way down the extent of the latter 
is a noble piece of marble statuary recently erected to the 
memory of Marshal Ney, who was barbarously shot on the 
same spot forty years ago. He stands erect, leading his 
gallant soldiers into action, by his own example encourag- 
ing them to deeds of valor. It is a fine memento of the 
gallant Ney, and arouses sorrowful and indignant thoughts 
of that intrepid and heroic chieftain, so meanly and vin- 
dictively butchered for the devotion he had displayed to- 
wards his beloved commander. His enemies attempted to 
justify their infamous revenge, by pleading that it was ne- 
cessary to make a fearful example. But how many have 
thus been immolated whose blood cries aloud from out of 
the earth, even unto heaven, for vengeance ! 

After our too brief visit to the Palace of the Luxembourg 
— which may justly be considered as one of the best build- 
ings of Paris, as well as most beautiful and interesting to 
all visitors and strangers, — we hastened towards the most 
remarkable of all the places yet visited by us, the Tomb 
of Napoleon. Our approach to it was from the Place 



192 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 

Vauban, whence we took a brief survey of the structure, 
the total height of which is near three hundred and fifty 
feet from the surface of the ground. The allegorical 
figures, the projecting buttresses, the beautiful and graceful 
composite columns, the statues, highly wrought pediments, 
pilasters, and balustrades, the lantern, gilt spire, and the 
great drum of the dome, formerly covered with lead, and 
highly gilded — the gilding now nearly all removed by the 
elements — present a magnificent appearance. But on en- 
tering beneath the ^reat outer doors the beholder is aston- 
ished by the sublimity that bursts upon his vision. With 
head unconsciously uncovered, we gazed upon the scene. 
Art and genius have here erected a monument to the favor- 
ite hero of a great nation, that is worthy of him, and im- 
presses the beholder with a feeling of reverence. Above 
the spectator is the lofty dome, from which a strangely soft 
and delicate light is thrown upon the remarkable fresco of 
the Four Evangelists ; then, dropping the eye a little lower, 
the fine bas-relief of Charlemagne, Dagobert, Philip Au- 
gustus, St. Louis, the Louises XII., XIII. and XIV., and 
Henry III., and some others, stand out as if they were liv- 
ing men. Beneath this lofty, and we may say, wonderful 
dome, is the grand mausoleum, with its beautiful red Fin- 
land marble sarcophagus, that is to contain the body of the 
great Napoleon. 

The mausoleum describes a perfect circle or open crypt, 
and is constructed of the purest white marble. Its depth 
is about twenty feet, supported by marble columns, and 
beween each of these, standing against the pilasters, are 
twelve splendid statues, representing as many victories, 
each facing the sarcophagus. The pavement is a splendid 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 193 

work in mosaic. The rays of an aura, or glory, of golden- 
colored marble encircle the tomb, and within that a most 
delicate and exquisite wreath of laurel, of extraordinary 
beauty, the color surprisingly natural. This wreath en- 
circles the celebrated victories of Rivoli, Marengo, Jena, 
the Pyramids, Wagram, Austerlitz, Friedland, and Moscow. 
The cover to the sarcophagus alone weighs one hundred 
and thirty-five thousand pounds, and was polished by a 
powerful steam engine. The place for the body is a single 
block, and is twelve feet long and six wide, resting upon 
two solid plinths of green granite, set within the centre of 
the circle of names of the victories. The whole will 
be about fourteen feet high, and is a mansion for the dead 
grander, probably, than he whose dust it is to receive ever 
expected to occupy. 

A balustrade, or more properly speaking, enclosure, 
around, about waist high to an ordinary man, surrounds 
the sarcophagus that is to contain all that remains of 
Napoleon Bonaparte : brought from the place of his dreary 
exile on sterile St. Helena, and resting for ever on the 
banks of the Seine, on the soil of that France he loved so 
much and raised for a time so high, and for which he 
would freely have given his blood and life. Here let the 
precious ashes lie till the last great trump shall sound, and 
re- animate them, and awaken to life and judgment the 
dead, the great and the humble alike — all who have 
lived on earth. His last battle was fought long ago ; and 
though the surging ocean moaned around his dying hour, 
and the final death struggle was in dreams of battle, his 
mortal remains lie where he would have chosen, and 
over them, for many years to come, sympathetic tears 



194 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

will be shed by the enthusiastic children of the land that 
so adores his name. Here the admirers of the wonderful 
genius that once animated his mouldering clay, will with 
reverence and love look upon this his tomb, and acknow- 
ledge that, great as he was, this is the last of earth ! 

At present his remains lie in a recess, or small room, to 
the left of the entrance and crypt, protected by a strong 
iron gate, through which we looked upon his coffin, covered 
with a rich pall, surmounted by his military hat, the 
clothes he wore, and his sword. The walls are also hung 
with fine black cloth, and a golden lamp is constantly 
burning. It is a plain but an impressive scene, and the 
eager crowd, really a vast multitude, constantly thronging 
and passing by it, between a file of police, hurrying them 
along, attests the veneration and respect his greatness and 
memory still excite. All have to take place at the end of 
the moving column, and pass the gate in turn ; none can 
stand still, but look as they move with the mass. 

People of all nations visit this place, displaying an al- 
most unexampled respect and eagerness. Jerusalem and 
Mecca, perhaps, had such a crowd daily thronging to their 
gates. 

On either side, right and left, as you enter, are the tombs 
of Vauban and Turenne, with very beautiful cenotaphs, in 
white marble. Beneath Napoleon's sarcophagus and the 
pavement are buried several of his distinguished marshals. 
Duroc and Bertrand have also tombs here. 

There are also here four circular chapels, each having 
lofty arched entrances, and each one beautifully decorated 
with magnificent marble work and paintings in fresco. 
The high altar-piece is in every way worthy of the edifice. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 195 

The altar-table and the side supporting columns of the 
magnificent gilt canopy are of raven black marble, highly 
polished. The windows over the circle of the altar are 
painted, and so arranged that the whole has a peculiar soft 
appearance, like the mother of pearl ; its beauty 

" Steals o'er the soul like sunshine o'er the skies." 

On either side of this altar are marble staircases, wind- 
ing down into the old chapel proper of the Hotel des In- 
valides, the home of the old soldiers, which is hung with 
flags taken by Napoleon, and other generals, in the various 
wars of France, the last being the Russian flag, taken 
from the flag-staff of the MalakhofT, at Sebastopol. 

Before the battle of Waterloo, and the entrance of the 
allied armies into Paris, there hung here over three thou- 
sand flags, eagles, and banners ; but large numbers of 
them were then burned, and the Sword of Frederick the 
Great, a trophy from the battle field, broken in two pieces 
by order of Joseph Bonaparte, the eve before the allies en- 
tered the city, who, he probably thought, would not be 
much gratified by the sight there of the evidences of the 
victories achieved by the French, so conspicuously dis- 
played. 

The Hotel des Invalides is an asylum for the poor, 
infirm, and wounded soldiers of the Empire. We saw 
numbers of the pensioners who had fought in the old wars, 
grey-haired veterans, who had gone through all Napoleon's 
campaigns ; some were without arms, some with one leg, 
or no legs, scarred, crippled, frozen, bruised and maimed 
in every imaginable way ; and we looked upon them with 
sincere respect, as being relics and comrades of the mighty 



196 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

dead we. had just been contemplating, and who once 
led them in serried battalions over conquering fields, and 
endured with them almost unearthly privations and suffer- 
ings — burning suns and fierce storms, the hot and burning 
sands of Egypt, the bitter cold of Russia, the forced 
march, the bivouac, starvation, plagues, retreats, and glo- 
rious victories. 

These scarred veterans are cared for as men, and we 
have not yet seen an institution in Europe, (of course ex- 
cepting Greenwich Hospital, in England,) which so nearly 
comes up to our idea of the retreat for the infirm and dis- 
abled of our brave soldiers and sailors, that we should like 
to see provided by the United States. It is surely nothing 
too generous that a government should give its defenders, 
infirm, improvident, scarred, war-worn, the certainty of a 
home when they need it, with ample pensions, where every 
reasonable want may be provided for, and where they can 
recount their battles, renew their youth, and finally die in 
peace. We consider such a provision would be but just, 
and it certainly would be politic. 

The great kitchen, dining rooms, sleeping halls, council 
rooms, library, &c, are in perfect order. The food is 
nicely prepared, and as fit for kings as subjects. The 
flower-garden in front of the hotel, attended to exclusively 
by the old men, is as beautiful as it can be made, and it 
is gratifying to see the pleasure with which they inhale its 
perfume as they tread its graveled walks. 

Arranged along the inside of the front moat are several 
old cannon, taken in the various wars, some of them enor- 
mously large guns of brass, and two lately added from 
Sebastopol. This is, and always has been, a sacred spot 



NOTES. BY THE WAYSIDE. 197 

to the French people ; and amid all their tumults and up- 
heavals it has never been disturbed. Its inmates have re- 
mained in peace and safety in the retreat which their coun- 
try has provided for them. It was a most interesting 
place to visit, and the remarkable fact continually occurred 
to our minds, that though Napoleon spent his last years 
and drew his last breath so far away from his adopted land, 
pining in inaction in lonely exile, still the mouldering dust 
that once formed the earthly vestment and instrument, as 
it were, of his wonderful mind, at last again reposes amid 
the remains of that military grandeur and power of which 
he was the soul. Many of his marshals lie around him, 
sleeping with him the sleep that only the last trumpet 
shall ever disturb. Old veterans, who spent their prime in 
his service, now near him rest from their toils and dangers : 
soon all those he commanded will join their old comman- 
der, and all the memorial they will leave will be an inter- 
esting chapter in the world's history. 

" The garlands wither on every brow ; 
Then boast no more of mighty deeds ; 
Upon death's purple altar now 
The war-worn victor bleeds ! 
All heads must come 
To the cold tomb. 
Only the actions of the just 
Smell sweet, and blossom in the dust." 

The only thing that disappointed us, in connection with 
our visit to the tomb of Napoleon, and the home of the 
Invalides, was, not seeing a tablet, inscription, memorial, 
or sculpture, sacred to the memory of Josephine ! One 
would suppose that she, Napoleon's first wife, and best 



198 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

counselor, own grandmother of the present emperor, who 
is superintending the erection of all this work, would either 
have been placed by the side of Napoleon, or at least in 
one of the chapels, with appropriate inscriptions and deco- 
rations. The omission is quite remarkable, and seemed to 
us totally inexcusable ; though perhaps there are " reasons 
of state" for it, which we do not understand. The present- 
emperor is descended from Napoleon I. through her line of 
descent : a fact not a little singular, when we remember her 
career. Aye ! cannot the great Napoleon's rapid descent 
from the height of his power be traced from the hour even, 
when he so ambitiously, wantonly, and barbarously, caused 
that noble woman to sign their articles of separation and 
divorce ? That was his first fatal mistake, the first step 
down from his pinnacle of fame ; and from that moment he 
began to waver, and became blinded by his own glory and 
excessive self-confidence, till finally he perished by his mad 
ambition. It would be but simple justice to give to the 
dead Josephine all possible honor and respect ; the whole 
world would applaud him who should pay due homage to 
her memory by a monument worthy of the faithful wife 
of the great Napoleon. 

Having walked and looked till we were wearied, and 
hungry as half-famished wolves, we again took a carriage, 
drove to the Palais Royal, and soon seated ourselves at one 
of the tables of the Cafe de Foy, where hundreds daily 
dine. From the window where we sat, our view took in 
the whole garden and three facades of the palace, with its 
handsome arcades, the fine fountain, and the seemingly 
gay thousands of people, young and old, high and low, who 
had gathered beneath the shady lime trees, to enjoy the 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 199 

delightful music of the band of the Imperial Guard, 
which at this season of the year performs on alternate eve- 
nings, here and at the Place Yendome, from five to seven 
o'clock, for the benefit of the people. It was a lovely- 
evening and a pleasant scene, and it was really delightful 
to dine at one's leisure, with such an animated pros- 
pect to look out upon, and to listen to the stirring and vo- 
luptuous music of this excellent band. And when the sun 
had gone down the numberless gas lamps were lit up, the 
crowd kept increasing, and the scene became still more 
brilliant, interesting and fascinating. To us it was stri- 
kingly novel, and had a strange fascination. We could 
almost fancy it was 

" One of those rainbow dreams, 

Half-light, half-shade, which fancy's beams 
Paint on the fleeting mists that roll, 
In trance or slumber, round the soul." 

Under the arcades are some of the finest jewelry shops 
and bazaars in Paris ; and when brilliantly lighted, and 
filled with people, as it usually is in the evening, there are 
but few more attractive and animated places — just fit to 
pass an idle hour or two. Gro where you may, pleasures 
of every kind seem to invite on every hand, and the myr- 
iads that fill the streets, and places, and theatres, and 
saloons, seem all to be enjoying themselves. Paris in the 
evening is quite turned inside out ; the gardens and prom- 
enades are thronged with all classes, rich and poor, civil- 
ians and soldiers, gendarmes and chevaliers d'industrie, 
noblemen and laborers. We will once more, to see the 
sights, take an open carriage, with a lazy cocker, of course, 



200 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

and drive through the cele orated Champs Elysees, Boule- 
vard des Italiens, Boulevard Poussoniere, &c, to the 
Column of July, in the Place de la Bastile, and thence 
down the Rue Rivoli, and so back to our hotel. This will 
finish our day with a regular feu de joie. 

We have seen few more charming sights than that of 
the Champs Elysee when brilliantly lit up in the evening. 
The lofty and fine old trees towering above, the thousands 
of burning gas lights illumining the dense wood, the nu- 
merous walks and magnificent roadways ; the gay throngs 
on every side, engaged in amusing themselves and each 
other, and forgetting for the time all life's business and 
anxieties ; some dancing, some singing, others riding, 
jumping, and swinging; while along the great central 
avenue, to and fro, rolls a process'ion of elegant equipages 
and carriages, of every description — except those used for 
carrying goods, and other like business purposes ; — then 
the jugglers, temporary billiard tables, pantomimes, strag- 
gling puppet-show players — -the three movable theatres, 
the Cirque huperiale, the brilliantly lighted and tempting 
cafes and restaurants ; — the three or four oriental and 
pagoda-like temples, classically hung with wreaths of 
flowers, and illuminated, so that around them it is almost 
as light as noon-day, and where there is always good in- 
strumental music to be heard, and gaily and tastefully 
dressed ballet-girls to be seen, looking so charming and 
young, and gay, by gas light — all these things, and much 
else, which we need not enumerate, and cannot recall, you 
will imagine must form a surprising and attractive ever 
changing panorama. It is understood that these out-of- 
door amusements for the million are kept up at the joint 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 201 

expense of the cafes and saloons in the neighborhood and 
the Imperial Government. 

As we drove along we could not help admiring the Place 
de la Concorde ! This is a large open space, nearly square, 
separating the Garden of the Tuileries from the Champs 
Ely sees, and the Seine from the Rue Rivoli. At the cor- 
ners stand immense allegorical figures in marble, repre- 
senting eight of the principal cities and towns of France, 
with appropriate designs and patriotic inscriptions or mot- 
toes, and with two incomparable allegorical bronze foun- 
tains, formed of the figures of tritons, water-nymphs, and 
sea gods, from whose mouths copious streams of water rise 
and fall, covering the whole group, producing a pleasing 
sound, and cooling the air with the unceasing and numer- 
ous cascades. In the centre stands the beautiful obelisk, 
brought from Egypt in 1833, and placed on the pedestal it 
now. stands upon by Louis Phillippe, in 1836 — being a 
single block of granite, seventy-two feet three inches high, 
weighing one hundred and twenty -two tons, covered with 
Egyptian hieroglyphics, and the same that once stood in 
front of the great temple of Thebes, in the reign of 
Sesostris, fifteen hundred and fifty years before the com- 
mencement of the Christian era. All these, with the 
splendid rows of tall iron and gilt lamp-posts, each very 
handsomely decorated with fancy castings and double 
lamps, and its being a favorite promenade, made it a de- 
lightful place, of which the Parisian is justly proud. 

Here was erected the horrible guillotine, in revolution- 
ary times, by the inhuman Robespierre ; here Louis XVI., 
Maria Antoinette, Charlotte Corday, and a multitude be- 
sides, and at last the wretch Robespierre himself, suffered 



202 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

death by it. Now the grand displays of fire- works are 
made here on extraordinary occasions. 

Thence, by the classic Madeleine, (and how beautiful is 
its front, seen by the artificial light, or by the gentle shade 
of evening !) we enter upon the famous Boulevards, pecu- 
liar to Paris. These are wide, airy, and elegant thorough- 
fares, both for pedestrians and carriages. They are triple 
avenues — very wide walks on each side, and a broad car- 
riage way in the middle — the same as our own streets, 
only very wide, say from two to three hundred feet, 
with rows of trees planted at regular intervals, on the edge 
of the curb-stones, between the roadway and the walks. 
These Boulevards are at the same time a protection (worth 
tenfold more in this respect than the ramparts of the city, 
that have cost almost untold millions) and a pleasure to 
the citizens, who mostly regard them as among the first of 
the advantages and attractions peculiar to Paris. And 
the present Emperor likes these wide streets and open 
boulevards, paved with asphaltum and wood, with which 
enthusiastic young France is unable to construct those 
revolutionary barricades, in which he had become so expert. 
And then the artillery would sweep so effectually those 
long straight avenues ! The Parisians tell you that Paris 
leads France, which leads the world — that Paris is the 
centre of civilization and revolution ; but the ardent spirits 
of that great city will have to discover a new mode of ex- 
pelling the rapidly worn out dynasties of France, or Paris 
will cease to be a source of anxiety and uneasiness to the 
crowned heads of Europe. 

The Boulevard des Italiens is the most fashionable and 
most frequented one in the city. We saw it to advantage 






NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 203 

one fine evening, when every gas burner was in requisi- 
tion, and emitting its brilliant light. The luxury and 
beauty of the shops, hotels, cafes, and restaurants, were 
fully displayed, and the architectural proportions of the 
buildings, mostly white free stone, or painted imitation of 
white stone, stood out in bold relief. In front of the cafes, 
hotels and restaurants, were thousands of men and women 
sitting at the small deal tables, eating, drinking, chatting 
and smoking ; the walks apparently jammed with a mov- 
ing mass of people, and the roadway filled with carriages 
and equipages, whose occupants were all bent on display- 
ing and amusing themselves. 

We had to confess that Broadway, and all other ways 
we had ever seen, were totally eclipsed by this Boulevard 
des Italiens. Only in Paris, with its taste, its love of out- 
door life and outside display, its good humor and gaiety, 
could such a spectacle be kept up. And for over two miles 
the scene continues of the same character, yet with suffi- 
cient change and variety to keep all on the qui vive. 

At the crossing of the Rue St. Denis, midway to the 
Place de la Bastile, is a very fine fountain, and a noble 
triumphal arch, erected, we believe, in the reign of Louis 
Phillippe. 

The Column of July stands on the spot where once 
stood the old blood-stained fortress of the Bastile, and was 
erected in commemoration of those who fell victims of the 
terrible " three days," in the year 1830, and whose remains 
are deposited underneath the granite pedestal. You will 
probably remember that the key of this ancient and hor- 
rible prison was sent by Lafayette to Washington, and for 
a long time hung, as we believe it does still, in the hall of 

9 



204 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

the old family mansion, at Mount Vernon, on the green 
banks of the Potomac. 

The height of the column is one hundred and eighty- 
four feet, constructed of plates of bronze, with lions' heads 
and other figures upon them. Not being supported by 
masonry within, it vibrates with the wind. The top is sur- 
mounted by a large gilt figure of the Genius of Liberty, 
holding a torch lighted in one hand, and a broken chain in 
the other, and standing on one foot, with wings expanded, 
as if about to take her flight. Here the Rue Rivoli ter- 
minates, though it will probably be extended still farther 
eastward. We drove down through it to our lodgings, 
well satisfied with our day's labor. 

The next morning, having refreshed our weary man by 

" Tired nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep," 

and strengthened the body by some excellent substantials, 
we first made our way down the Rue St. Honore, to the 
Church of St. Roche, which is of plain external appear- 
ance, except the double row of Doric and Corinthian col- 
umns in front, but one of the richest and noblest churches 
in Paris. It is well endowed, and is attended by wealthy 
worshipers, and has some special privileges. The walls, 
though aged, are strong and well proportioned, and in a 
very good state of preservation. 

Among the paintings, we noticed particularly Christ 
Blessing Little Children, the Raising of Lazarus from 
the Grave, the Daughter of J aims, Jesus purging 
the Temple, and Jesus disputing with the learned 
Doctors in the Temnle at Jerusalem, — which are very 
fine. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 205 

The altar-piece of this church is lofty and grand. The 
statuary on it, particularly of the infant Saviour in the 
manger, with Joseph and Mary kneeling, is quite remark- 
able. There is a shrine here of cedar of Lebanon, orna- 
mented with gilt bronze mouldings, and containing the 
relics of the church, and several small pieces of stained 
glass that are very old and brilliant, and well worth look- 
ing at. There are but few chapels attached to this church, 
but each of them should be visited by the stranger, as they 
will richly repay him for the time he may devote to them ; 
and if he be fortunate enough to visit it during high mass 
he will hear some of the very best singing in Paris. The 
chapel of the Holy Sacrament is magnificently decorated, 
to represent the Holy of Holies of the Mosaic tabernacle, 
and all the ornaments and utensils of the Jewish ritual 
are displayed here. The chapel of the Virgin is consider- 
ed unsurpassed, and the fresco of the Assumption a speci- 
men of art the equal of which is seldom to be seen. 
These figures are so life-like and beautiful that it was diffi- 
cult to believe that they were merely composed of colors 
on a flat surface. 

But most remarkable •£ all is the Chapel of Calvary. 
In a large niche is represented the rocky hill of Calvary, 
with the body of our Saviour hanging on the Cross, and 
Mary Magdalene at its foot weeping. The effect of this 
scene is truly wonderful. We were cmite awe-stricken, as 
we gazed upon the vivid representation of the grandest and 
most solemn event that human eyes ever beheld. We 
seemed to be transported back to the time of Christ, to 
stand upon the now sacred Mount ; there before us was the 
Saviour, His hands, feet, and side pierced, His flesh livid 



206 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

with the hue of death, bearing upon Himself the sins of 
the world ; and nature seemed to lament the crime of man. 
At the right of the hill is the mouth of the cavern, in 
which is a supposed fac simile of the tomb of Joseph of 
Arimathea. Well may the scene affect the senses ! It is 
sublime and heart- touching. These magnificent decora- 
tions, paintings, statuary, and displays of pomp and splen- 
dor, as well as of the deepest solemnity and terror, are 
well calculated to enchain the minds and fascinate the 
affections of the men, women, and children, who see them 
and who have been taught to look upon them with the 
deepest veneration. 

We experienced almost a feeling of surprise on turning 
from this truthful, life-like and absorbing representation, to 
find ourselves, after taking a few steps, again in the midst 
of the life and business and sunshine of Paris. We took 
our way up the grand avenue of the Champs Elysees, to 
the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile. This structure was com- 
menced by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806, to commemorate 
the victories he had then achieved, and the entry into Paris 
of his new and high-born bride, Maria-Louisa, her for 
whom he had discarded a faithful and truly noble wife. 
Louis Phillippe completed the enormous pile. Its foun- 
dations are twenty-five feet deep in the earth, its height is 
one hundred and fifty-two feet, its width one hundred and 
thirty-seven feet by sixty-eight. 

The quantity and variety of sculptured figures and 
scenes on this splendid arch are astonishing. There is the 
Genius of War, summoning the nation to arms — a won- 
derful composition ; the National Deputies around the altar 
of their country, distributing flags to the troops, as they 






NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 207 

march to the Battle-Field ; warriors, in their various cos- 
tumes, arming and hurrying to the conflict ; the young 
man defending his native country, his wife, children, aged 
sire, and fire-side, against invaders ; a colossal figure of 
Napoleon receiving a crown from the hands of Yictory, 
while History is recording his achievements, and conquered 
cities and nations lie at his feet. Some of the work, that 
representing the peace of 1815, probably was not contem- 
plated by Napoleon, when he began to erect this magnifi- 
cent arch. We have enumerated but a portion of the nu- 
merous sculptures. There is a fine representation of the 
Sheathing of the Sword of Battle ; also the Battle of 
Austerlitz, the Surrender of Mustapha Pacha at the Battle 
of Aboukir, and the passage of the Bridge of Lodi. All 
around the heavy frieze is sculptured a fine composition, 
representing the conquering armies of France returning 
from their victorious campaigns, and offering to their coun- 
try the fruits of their glorious victories. Beneath are 
carved the names of ninety-six battles, in which the arms 
of France were triumphant, and the names of the three 
hundred and eighty-four generals whose valour, and skill, 
and genius, led the legions of their country to victory. 

Doubtless, as a work of art, this triumphal arch is the 
most splendid and magnificent thing of the kind, not only 
in Paris, but in the world, and is an enduring monument 
of the ability and talent of the French in the noble arts of 
sculpture and architecture. As we sat in the shadow, ex- 
amining some of the details — and this is not a mere sight, 
but a grand and complicated work, or series of works, 
worthy of study and contemplation — as we sat in its 
shadow, viewing this pictorial record, sculptured in endur- 



20S NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

ing material, of France's military glory, we could not but 
think of the rivers of blood that had been shed in those 
ninety-six battles — the sufferings of the wounded — the 
pangs of the dying — the widows and orphans, to whom 
their share in such dearly purchased national glory was a 
cruel mockery. 

We imagined the groans, the sighs, that those mutual 
slaughters of man by fellow man had caused — those mur- 
derous conflicts depicted so vividly before us, and constantly 
visited and admired by gay crowds — we thought, could the 
cries of the wounded and dying be heard altogether, how 
fearful a sound they would make — an overpowering sound 
of anguish, amidst which the loudest thunder of heaven or 
the roar of Niagara would be lost — and which would cause 
this proud and solid Arch of Triumph to tremble and rock 
to its deep foundations. 

We ascended to the top of the arch by the spiral stair- 
case of two hundred and sixty-one steps. The finest view 
of Paris is to be had from this point. Before us lay the 
whole city and valley, the Bois de Boulogne, Montmartin, 
St. Cloud, St. Denis, and all the suburbs. The sun was 
illuminating the spires, turrets and domes of the city, the 
whole wide valley, and the distant hillsides with its richest 
golden splendor. The avenues and streets were swarming 
with busy people, hurrying hither and thither to their 
business or pleasure ; and we felt well repaid for the labor 
of walking up so many stairs. The solidity and massive- 
ness of the whole form no little part of the grandeur of the 
structure. 

From this point to the Bois de Boulogne, has recently 
been opened the Avenue of the Empress, three hundred 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 



209 



feet wide, with fine graveled walks and roadway, and 
grass plats planted with young forest trees. It is a favorite 
street, and through it thousands of carriages daily roll to 
the refreshing shade of the wood, just on the other side of 
the lino of fortifications, where we too will go and refresh 
our weary selves. 

The trees of the Bois do Boulogne arc not large, being of 
recent growth, having been planted within the memory of 
many of the citizens. The old forest was partly destroyed 
in the Revolution, and the remainder was cut down in 
1814, to clear the way for the defence of the city against 
the approach of the allied armies. It was here the English 
army under Wellington encamped after the battle of 
Waterloo. This wood is the only one about Paris that 
approximates to Hyde Park or Ptegent's Park in London, 
and it is in scarcely any respect equal to them. It is the 
fashionable drive; the people, many with their families, go 
to spend the day there, to enjoy the shady walks, or recline 
beneath the spreading oaks or lime trees, on the grassy 
banks of the beautiful artificial sheets of water, formed by 
the present emperor. Winding paths and broad roadways are 
constructed on a grand scale, and constantly kept damp by 
the police stationed here to prevent the rising of dirt. The 
islands in the artificial lakes, the delightful rustic cascades, 
the elegant temples and kiosks, give beauty and variety to 
the place, and numerous awnings, iron chairs and benches 
are provided and placed in all the most pleasant spots for 
the accommodation of the thousands and tens of thousands 
who find a refreshing change from city life, in this quiet, 
yet always cheerful and lively place of resort. 



210 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

There is moored in the stream that ornaments the Bois, 
a beautifully modeled screw-steamer, a present to the 
young Prince Imperial. The wood is about two miles 
long, and from one to one and a quarter of a mile wide. 
Artificial mounds, temples, cafes, grass plats and lawns are 
charmingly intermingled ; forming just such a place as the 
Parisian loves, where he can promenade in the open air, 
surrounded by agreeable objects, and not too retired — for 
he would find little enjoyment where he may not see and 
be seen. This wood too has long been a favorite ground for 
gentlemen and others to give and take satisfaction ; heal- 
ing their wounded honor by means of cold steel or gun- 
powder. 

Returning thence along the left bank of the Seine, after re- 
entering the line of fortifications, we crossed the river on one 
of the seven splendid stone bridges by which it is spanned, 
and stood upon the famous Champs de Mars — a smooth 
open space, three-fourths of a mile long, and a quarter of 
a mile wide, where military exercises and reviews take 
place. On this ground Napoleon Bonaparte had his grand 
fete, in 1815, previous to his setting out on his campaign 
into Belgium ; and here Napoleon III. distributed the 
eagles to the army in 1852, when there were sixty thou- 
sand troops of all arms present. At the south end of it is 
the Ecole Militaire, a large building in the renaissant style 
of architecture, instituted as a school for the education of 
the sons of poor noblemen, but now used as a barracks, and 
usually well filled. The ground around is kept extremely 
smooth and hard, not a blade of grass being visible. 

We next visited the Church of St. Sulpice, an old and 
very interesting place indeed. The paintings, frescoes, 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 211 

statuary, and stained glass are all excellent. The high 
altar is surrounded by some beautiful statuary of the 
Apostles, and has some unusually fine gilt ornamentation. 
A statue of the Virgin, in one of the chapels, is one of the 
very finest we have seen. The dimensions of the build- 
ing are : 432 feet long, 174 feet wide, and 99 feet high ; 
the front ornamented with Doric and Corinthian columns. 
In the tower are three very large bells, the aggregate weight 
of which is thirty thousand pounds. The pulpit is quite 
a curiosity, being sustained only by the stairs. It is orna- 
mented with some very good figures of Faith, Hope and 
Charity. At the bottom of one of the aisles there is a 
meridian line, which marks the spring and winter solstices. 
The rays of the sun pass through a small hole in a metal 
plate in the window of the south transept, and form on the 
pavement a luminous circle, nearly one foot in diameter, 
which moves across the line, and at noon is bisected by it. 
We almost forgot to mention two immense shells, the largest 
known, that were a present to Francis I. by the Republic 
of Venice, now used as basins for holy water, and stand- 
ing at the entrance of the nave. There were some rich 
paintings here, that we wished to examine more closely, 
but inexorable time did not permit ; and still time is press- 
ing upon us, for we must now close or be too late for the 
next mail. 

Our next letter will be about the Louvre, the celebrated 
Grobelin tapestry manufactory ; Versailles ; other things 
and places, perhaps ; and our next move will be to Bel- 
gium, Brussels, Waterloo. 



9* 



LETTER No. XI. 

Paris, France, September 23c?, 1857. 
Dear Daughter A # * # * : 

At the hour of the opening of the palace of the Louvre, 
we were among the first at the door, eager to enter and 
view its splendors. This, you may remember, was one of 
the first of the edifices erected within the city for the resi- 
dence of royalty, having been commenced by Francis I. 
and finished by Napoleon. Before the city extended over 
this ground, the old monarch Dagobert had a hunting- 
lodge here, and that old building, with improvements made 
by Phillip Augustus, in 1200, was used for a state 
prison. Charles V. fitted it up with considerable magni- 
ficence, as a residence for distinguished foreign princes 
when visiting him. Charles IX., the cruel and bigoted 
fanatic, who so bitterly persecuted the Huguenots, re- 
sided here ; and Henrietta, the widow of the decapitated 
Charles I. of England, lived here ; but since the decease 
of Louis XV., the Louvre has not been used as a royal 
residence, except temporarily on the occasion of some un- 
usual state ceremony. 

The front of the building is very superb, and is adorned 
with a fine colonnade of twenty-eight double Corinthian 
columns, fronting a spacious gallery, and is justly consid- 
ered as one of the best specimens of the architecture of the 
times of Louis XIV. and Francis I. The central part of 



214 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

the colonnade, with its splendid porticos — the handsomely 
decorated pilasters and immense windows, the light and 
shade afforded by the columns and figures, cornices and 
frieze, and the magnificently bronzed gates, placed there by 
order of Napoleon, combine to give the whole front a most 
excellent effect. There are some remarkable pieces of 
stone here, forming the cornices over the entrance or gate- 
way, each piece fifty-two feet long, and three feet thick ! 
How such enormous stones were ever got out of the 
ground and placed where they are without breaking, is 
almost as much a mystery to those who have never seen 
such inmense blocks raised, as the construction of the 
Pyramids of Egypt. 

This immense and beautiful palace is now and has been 
for many years used as a museum, or gallery of sculpture 
and painting, and no one should think of visiting Paris 
without going to see this splendid collection. 

The rooms and halls are long and lofty, and everywhere 
resplendent with beauty. They afford a continuous walk 
of not less than three miles, we should think. The whole 
building was formerly richly decorated and furnished, but 
under the present emperor it has been wonderfully im- 
proved, and still more splendidly embellished. All the 
decorations are in good taste ; tawdriness is avoided, and 
though some of the rooms are sumptuous, there seems 
really no superabundance — nothing that one thinks might 
as well be away. 

The rooms on the front or first floor are devoted to sculp- 
ture, and there sre large numbers of fine pieces both 
ancient and modern. Many of the older pieces were muti- 
lated, some quite badly, (as too many of the finest produc- 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 215 

tions of the old masters are ; and it often struck us 
as strange how they could have been so neglected and 
damaged;) hut they still show their delicate points and 
wonderful artistic merit. Changing from hand to hand, 
revolutions, wars and time, have all helped to deface these 
still beautiful and valuable works. 

Justinian delivering the Code of Laws to Rome ; Minerva 
displaying the olive branch of Peace ; allegorical paint- 
ings of Prudence and other virtues on the walls ; Prome- 
theus giving life to man by the aid of the heavenly fire, 
are exceedingly fine, and richly worth close scrutiny. The 
marble columns, pilasters and decorations of the walls and 
floors are also most excellent; but several of these rooms 
were undergoing repairs, and we did not visit them, 
though they are rich with antiquities. 

Ascending the splendid staircase, which is almost wide 
enough for a platoon of soldiers to ascend, we first found 
ourselves in the Salle Ronde, a small-sized room, with a 
lofty ceiling in fresco and gilt stucco, and a fine mosaic 
pavement. In the centre of this room stands a very beau- 
tifully sculptured vase, of pure white marble, that is wor- 
thy of close inspection. The ceiling represents the fall of 
Icarus, Hercules stifling Anthems, iEolus mastering the 
Winds, Vulcan exhibiting the Arms he has made for 
Achilles, and Achilles invoking the aid of the Gods against 
Scamander and Simois. 

From this room we enter the gallery of Apollo, a mag- 
nificent hall, being one hundred and eighty-four feet long, 
and seventy-eight feet broad. The gilding, frescoes, carv- 
ing, cornices, and painting are quite astonishing. Indeed 
it seemed more like the works which in our childhood we 



216 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 



read of, constructed by fairies and genii ; but though we 
half-believed in those edifices of the imagination, we never 
expected to walk in apartments in which the work of 
fancy is so nearly realized. On the south side of this 
room, overlooking the small flower-gardens and the Seine, 
are twelve windows, and opposite each window is a door, 
but all now were sealed up, being covered with splendid 
paintings, by native masters of France. Besides the mag- 
nificent frescoes of the Triumph of the Earth, and the 
Triumph of the Waters, by Le Brun, the ceiling is adorn- 
ed with medallions, representing each of the months of the 
year, with most appropriate designs ; the Muses, Aurora 
in her Car ; Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter ; and 
Evening, sweet, soft and fair; the Zodiac signs of the 
of the Heavens ; chain and wreathed work, boquets of 
flowers, arabesques, and fleur-de-lis, with the Triumph of 
Apollo, by Delacroix, all admirable. 

In this room were several artists copying figures, ro- 
settes, and different patterns of border-finishing, for decora- 
tions of buildings being erected for private gentlemen. 
What a privilege this to artists ! At all times they are 
permitted to copy, and in almost every room may be seen 
one or more artists, of both sexes, taking advantage of 
this wise liberality on the part of the government. 

Out of this room we passed into a small room that re- 
sembles a kind of ante-room to the celebrated Long Gal- 
lery ; this latter, to our regret and disappointment under- 
going repairs and closed to the public, is over thirteen 
hundred feet long and forty-two feet wide — the largest, 
longest, and most majestic hall in the world, and contain- 
ing about two thousand most valuable paintings. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 217 

We examined the fine paintings in the small room. Their 
value we are almost afraid to tell you. There are six, not 
very large ones compared with many, which together are 
valued at the sum of one hundred and fourteen thousand 
pounds sterling — more than a half million of dollars! and 
it is said would bring this amount of cash any day they 
might be sold by auction at the Bourse. 

We could willingly have sat down here for the re- 
mainder of the day, and feasted our eyes. Murillo's Im- 
maculate Conception of the Virgin is in this apartment — 
one of those pictures one never tires of beholding ; indeed, 
looking upon it you forget it is a picture. All thought of 
artist, and colors, and canvas, are lost in a delightful feel- 
ing of admiration. We could not look upon it with, eyes 
large enough. The Marriage Feast at Cana of Galilee, 
by Paul Veronese ; Magdalen Wiping the Feet of the 
Saviour, by the same painter ; and the Sleep of Antiope, by 
Correggio, are also beautiful, and filled us with inward 
rapture of soul. Then there is Raphael's St. Michael 
treading the Dragon under his Feet : a masterly picture. 

There is also an extraordinary Shipwreck piece here that 
attracts attention. The spectator unconsciously holds his 
breath as he looks upon it. The iron-bound coast is lashed 
with a furious storm, a vessel is dashing to pieces amidst 
the breakers, and an immense surge has thrown -a spar 
upon the rocks, with a young, athletic husband and his 
precious ones upon it. He has placed one child on the 
rock before him, and with another on his back reaches 
down, grasps the long, water-matted hair of his wife's 
head, and draws her partly before him. The wild wave is 
coming in upon him with impending destruction, and with 



218 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

Herculean bound he grasps the branch of a stunted dwarf- 
ish shrub, that has feebly grown out of the rocky bed. 
Just at the moment he has grasped it, and is saved, with 
all his precious charges, though the wife has fainted, and 
not yet drawn from the water, the father of the young 
man, a haggard, hellish-countenanced miser, half-dressed 
and half-drowned, is thrown in by a wave, and clutches 
his bare and trembling right arm around his son's neck, 
with his bag of gold extended in the left hand, when the 
additional weight breaks the limb, and the whole are sus- 
pended over the watery grave that yawns beneath them ! 
The look of despair, of hope forever lost, and the heart- 
broken agony in that young father's face, are terrible. A 
thrill of horror and compassion rushed over our whole 
body, and we involuntarily closed our eyes upon the scene. 
The deep swallowed them up ! Grold, that 

" Sow'd the world with ev'ry ill, 
And taught the murderer's sword to kill," 

succeeded in destroying those who had escaped the horrors 
of shipwreck and the fierce rage of wind and waves. 

The Raft at Sea is another most striking and affect- 
ing piece. The dead and the starving, the haggard and 
the hopeful, some abandoned to despair, others engaged in 
prayer, the signal rag fluttering on a raised oar, with a far 
distant sail bearing down o'er the blue sea, form a pic- 
ture that almost brings tears of sympathy to one's eyes- 
We remember to have seen an engraved copy of this scene, 
but it does not do justice to the original. 

Passing out of this room we retrace our steps, and were 
shown out on to the balcony of the window at which 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 219 

Charles the Ninth stood, and fired upon his own subjects, 
on the never-to-be-forgotten eve of St. Bartholomew. 

The next rooms we entered were filled with caskets and 
vases, adorned with rare and valuable gems, church in- 
signia and utensils, set with precious stones, antiquated 
silver and gold ornaments and jewelry, ivory work, and 
delicate alabaster boxes, chased silver vases and urns, and 
a silver statue of Henry IV. when a child, and a great num- 
ber of old and splendidly cut cameos, carbuncles, and 
stones. One of the caskets, set in sparkling jewels, is es- 
timated to be worth two hundred and fifty thousand francs, 
or fifty thousand dollars ! This suite of rooms, comprising 
four in number, is filled with cases of ancient and valuable 
curiosities, beautiful paintings, and superb frescoes, gold or- 
naments of distant ages — Etruscan, Egyptian, Roman, 
Saxon, Norman ; portraits and miniatures on ivory and 
boards ; models of ships, fire-arms, specimens of marble, 
old stained glass, &c. Here there are several rooms con- 
taining books of the earliest date, written and printed ; one 
beautifully bound, as early as the year 852, in a good state 
of preservation ; a chair of the King Dagobert ;. toilet arti- 
cles of Marie Antoinette and Catharine de Medici ; the 
sword and sceptre of the monarch Charlemagne ; the 
swords and armor of various old kings and emperors ; 
robes of Napoleon, and his coats when he was colonel, 
general, consul, and emperor ; his tent, bed and clothes, 
and some small articles of apparel he used at St. Helena ; 
and his saddles, equipages, swords, housings, &c, &c, 
worn in his Egyptian campaign, many of them presents 
from kings, princes, and pashas, and profusely ornamented 
with valuable jewels and precious stones. These are all 



220 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

enclosed in glass cases, and are looked upon with curiosity, 
almost with enthusiasm, by thousands. The very clothes 
he wore are seemingly held in the deepest veneration, judg- 
ing from the crowds that constantly fill these rooms, and 
look upon their contents so earnestly and affectionately. 

Besides these there are immense rooms of etchings and 
designs ; Grecian, Roman, Assyrian, Egyptian, and Ameri- 
can curiosities ; great sphinxes, images, &c. ; colossal frag- 
ments of columns, and huge exhumations, all well worth 
seeing, and profitable for study and reflection. 

"We next made our way to the Gobelin Manufactory. 
On our way we drove by the Bourse, one of the most 
chaste and classic pieces of architecture in Paris. It is 
about two hundred and twenty-five feet in length, and one 
hundred and twenty-eight feet wide, quite lofty, and sur- 
mounted by a noble gallery, supported by sixty-six Corin- 
thian columns, forming an immense arcade, or more prop- 
erly speaking portico, beneath which fortunes are daily 
made and lost. A splendid flight of marble steps runs 
along the whole western front ; at the corners are magnifi- 
cent statues of Agriculture, Commerce, Industry, and Jus- 
tice. The principal room is one hundred and sixteen feet 
long and seventy-six feet wide, with a double tier of ar- 
cades finished with marble, the prominent cornice having 
inscribed medallions upon it, with the names of the most 
important commercial cities of the world. The ceiling is 
adorned with appropriate frescoes, and the niches with 
statuary. All the money, stock, bond, and important 
business transactions of the city and country transpire 
here. 

A little farther on we passed the Bank of France, for- 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 221 

merly a hotel, an unpretending and unnoticeable building, 
but for the soldier of the National Guard on duty at its 
main entrance. In truth, it is not very rich, outwardly 
or internally, as it ought to be, and but for paying enor- 
mous premiums for "the coin," would, it is believed by 
many, long since have suspended specie payments. 

Having arrived at the gate of the Gobelin Manufactory, 
we were admitted on exhibiting our passport, and first 
conducted into rooms hung with wonderful specimens of 
this noble art, wrought in the 16th and 17th cen- 
turies. From this we went into two rooms hung with 
more modern specimens, some of which are quite as ex- 
quisite as the finest paintings, and are admired with enthu- 
siasm by all who are privileged to see them, as extraordi- 
nary and astonishing works of this most delicate art. 
There is a large allegorical piece of the Gods in the Clouds ; 
the Saviour Crucified, His flesh, wounds, limbs, hands, 
fingers, nails, and expression of anguish, as perfect 
as if the dead body were actually before us — the Holy 
Family of Judea — the Portrait of Charles the First — and 
of Napoleon and Josephine at their divorcement, are ex- 
pressive, and wonderfully beautiful. Then there are the 
gems of Jupiter and his Love, the Three Graces, and the 
Ram brought for Sacrifice in the place of Isaac, all wor- 
thy of a longer and closer examination than we could be- 
stow on them. 

That the hands of man can weave worsted and silk 
threads into the human form divine so accurately, produ- 
cing by this ingenious and intricate process the finest color- 
ing and the most delicate shading, and every variety of 
expression of countenance, is quite surprising, and no one 



222 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

can "believe and realize the perfection to which this art has 
here attained without seeing it for themselves. Passing 
through the rooms of the establishment we saw pieces on 
the frames in all stages of progress. The workman has 
the picture or portrait to be copied suspended behind him, 
and reproduces the figures inverted, not being able to see 
the same while at his work, and indeed not at all, unless 
he walks around to the front, outside the warp. All the 
cuttings and fastenings are down on the back, or wrong 
side of the work. The exceeding care, constant judgment, 
and nice discrimination, required to be exercised in the 
selection of the shades of colors to form the exact expres- 
sion, can only be acquired by the most severe discipline 
and extraordinary caution. There were several beautiful 
compositions and pieces on the frames. We noticed par- 
ticularly the portraits of the present emperor and empress, 
both of which, so far as finished, are fine specimens of this 
art. That of Eugenie is exquisite. The coloring is match- 
less, the lovely form is life itself, and every portion of her 
dress, the folds, ribbons, laces, and magnificent jewels, per- 
fectly truthful. It does not seem possible that a repre- 
sentation so minute, delicate and natural, can be produced 
from such comparatively coarse materials as worsted and 
silk, skillful and delicate as we know the hand and work 
of the artizan to be. Only one arm and a part of her bust 
were finished. She is standing so as to display her round, 
soft and delicate arm, beautifully shaped hand, tapered and 
elegant fingers, resting easily upon a rich crimson velvet 
cushion. The true living appearance of the flesh, with all 
its soft and rosy hues, is admirably given ; it is emphat- 
ically one of the most wonderful specimens of art we have 






NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 223 

ever seen. At a little distance it would, by a connoisseur, 
be pronounced one of the finest of paintings. The portrait 
of the emperor is equally good in coloring, expression, and 
position. 

We were also conducted through the carpet rooms. In 
'constructing these the workmen have the copy of their 
work immediately before them, and do all their work on 
the right side. In working paintings and portraits all 
their work is inverted, and at every movement of a thread 
the workman is obliged to turn his head half-round, and is 
thus constantly swinging his head ; his keen, highly-culti- 
vated perceptive faculties being unceasingly active, while 
his fingers are as closely employed by his delicate, and ap- 
parently intricate, and difficult work. The carpets now 
made here exceed the finest Persian. The entire estab- 
lishment is supported by and under the supervision of the 
government, its productions being used to adorn the rooms of 
the Louvre, and other palaces. The workmen are paid regu- 
lar salaries, and retire on pensions, neither of which to us 
seemed very ample remuneration for the beautiful and in- 
tricate work done by them. 

On our way back to our hotel we passed by the Palais 
du Justice, one of the oldest and finest edifices in the em- 
pire. The facade is on a grand scale, and adorned by 
Doric columns and allegorical figures in marble, of Justice, 
Prudence, and Force. This vast building is composed of 
an immense centre and two wings, enclosing three sides of 
a court. It was a public building before the invasion of 
Gaul by the Franks ; and may justly claim to have done 
the state some service, seeing that it has been in use as a 
public building ever since. 



224 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

Here the higher courts are held. There is one grand 
room two hundred and sixteen feet long hy eighty-four 
broad, supported by Ionic columns — a magnificent court 
room indeed. The towers, high conical roof, elegant iron 
railings, with gilded points, the great clock, the first ever 
seen in Paris, and the immense stone steps, altogether give 
a substantial and quite imposing appearance. Here the 
old monarchs of France lived for nearly four hundred 
years. 

Just at the west end of the north wins' is the Tour 
Bourbon. During that most remarkable of all reigns, the 
era of " Liberte, Fraternite, Egalite," the Reign of Terror, 
when the terrible Robespierre, himself ever laboring under 
the fear and suspicion he spread around, presided for a 
time over the moral and political chaos into which the 
nation had fallen, and gay chivalrous France was governed 
by means of the guillotine, — during that ever memorable 
reign the carts that carried the " aristocrats" to execution 
called here for their loads of victims. Behind this Tour 
is another gloomy building, the old Cornier gerie, within 
whose walls have been immured the good and the bad, 
the vilest with the purest, in all ages, since it was built. 
Some of the noisome dungeons are far below the level 
of the river, and are as damp, dark, and unwholesome, as 
even a tyrant could wish the dungeons of his enemies to be. 

Near by, towering heavenward, is to be seen the gilded 
spire of the Sainte Chapelle, said to be one of the most 
elaborate and highly-finished churches in the city, but we 
had not time to visit it. It is also said to contain several 
wonderful relics, viz. : some of the thorns from the crown 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 225 

of our Saviour, a piece of the cross, and the spear-head 
that pierced his side ; but there are so many spear-heads, 
thorns, &c, exhibited besides these, and in so many differ- 
ent places, that we suspected there was some mistake as 
to these as well as the other relics — that they were not the 
original and genuine, and so we had not curiosity enough 
to go and look at them. 

Having been fully satiated with sight-seeing in town, 
we felt a desire for a day's recreation in the country, so 
we made our way to the railway station in the Place du 
Havre, for a trip to St. Cloud and the grand palace, gar- 
dens, and famous wood of Yersailles. On our way we 
joined company with some friends, and finding we could 
not visit both with any degree of comfort to ourselves or 
justice to the places in the time we had set apart for them, 
we, although very unwillingly, passed by the beautiful 
palace of St. Cloud and grounds — with the more regret, as 
it was the favorite residence of Napoleon and Josephine, 
more especially the latter — and continued on to Yersailles. 

The entire distance is about sixteen miles, and the 
scenery of the country we passed through uncommonly 
fine. Leaving the large and handsome station, we described 
three-quarters of the circuit of the city, with magnificent 
views of the Bois de Boulogne, the winding silver Seine, 
beautifully laid out gardens, and grassy lawns, the 
monuments, towers, Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, and 
church spires of the city, with here and there sweetly em- 
bowered cottages and lordly mansions, and the richly laden 
vineyards black with thick clusters of luscious-looking 
grapes. 

On the route we also passed under the walls and frown- 



226 NOTES BT THE WAYSIDE. 

ing batteries of the apparently impregnable Fort Valerien, 
which is on the highest ground about the city, and over- 
looks its entire circuit. 

The station-house at Versailles is quite extensive and well 
built for business, but entering upon the street that leads 
to the avenues of St. Cloud, terminating at the entrance 
gate of the palace, we were particularly reminded of Gold- 
smith's " Deserted Village." The lofty and once splendid 
buildings, residences, and business houses, are now mould- 
ering and crumbling into ruins, uninhabited, and fast be- 
coming untenantable. The city itself once contained one 
hundred thousand inhabitants, large numbers of whom 
were connected in some capacity with the different courts 
of Europe, with the embassies, ministers, legations, repre- 
sentatives, &c, of all the nations of the world, all more or 
less lavish in expenditure. This population, with the 
presence of the French court, then principally at the 
palace, contributed very largely towards making it a place 
of considerable business, as well as a magnificent city. 

Now there is no court here, foreigners and large num- 
bers of the citizens have left it, and it will soon be (saving 
the palace and grounds) a city of nothing but magnificent 
ruins. The streets are wide and regularly laid, but roughly 
paved. The avenues are still more spacious than the prin- 
cipal streets, and planted with rows of noble elms, whose 
graceful limbs interlace each other at the top, and form 
most delightful shady arbors, each of them converging to 
and terminating at the palace entrance. Entering the 
great gate, we are in the paved semi-circular outer court, or 
esplanade, surrounded by a splendid iron railing. This, as ' 
well as being a court, was a place d } ar??ies, with ample 






NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 227 

capacity to accommodate a thousand caparisoned horse- 
men. Near by and opposite the entrance are great bar- 
racks erected for both infantry and cavalry. The smaller 
court is quite well filled with some magnificent statuary, 
representing France victorious over Austria and Spain, also 
figures of Richelieu, Jourdan, Massena, Lannes, Duquesne, 
and others. In the centre is a colossal equestrian statue 
of Louis XIV., that is admirably executed, and is con- 
sidered one of the best of the kind ever made. 

The palace front is irregular, but well built, having com- 
paratively but few decorations outwardly, but it is exten- 
sive and lofty. The grandest front is westward, and 
surveyed from the wide terrace presents an imposing ap- 
pearance. The ballustrades, windows, cornices, peristyles 
of Ionic columns, allegorical figures and Corinthian pilas- 
ters, are all on a magnificent scale. It is not so much for 
its architectural beauty that the palace is remarkable — 
though it certainly is a beautiful structure — as for extent 
and grandeur, in which it far surpasses any of the numer- 
ous fine edifices we have already seen in France. 

We entered at the right wing, under the inscription 
" A toutes les Gloires de la France" signifying the pur- 
pose for which this palace is now used : that of a general 
depository of the works of art belonging to the French 
nation. 

"We entered the spacious vestibule with great expecta- 
tions ; nor were we disappointed. Indeed, much as we 
anticipated, the reality exceeded all that we had imagined. 
The half had not been told us. The first gallery we en- 
tered was filled with statuary, heads, busts, and full- 
lengths ; some casts, and others of marble. Then there 

10 



228 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

are several saloons that were formerly the State apartments 
of Louis XIV., and in these are recorded by the artist's 
brush the most remarkable events in the history and lives 
of the kings and emperors of France, including the whole 
line from Pharamond to Louis Phillipe. These paintings 
are noble monuments of genius, and are much admired. 
There are seven rooms containing paintings of the times 
of Louis Phillipe. 

The chapelle within this wing is quite large, and fitted 
up with considerable splendor. The gallery and ceilings 
are supported by beautifully sculptured columns, and it is 
paved with costly marble, divided into regular compart- 
ments wrought in mosaic. The ceilings are exquisitely 
painted in fresco. The high altar is a beautiful piece of 
work, executed in black and white marble, and in part 
richly gilt ; the whole has a very fine and striking effect. 
It is also adorned with figures of the Virgin and child 
Jesus, and surrounding cherubic heads. There are a few 
choice paintings on the walls, and the organ is said to be 
the largest in France. 

From here we passed into another long gallery of statu- 
ary and plaster copies, among which were many gems. 
Among the marbles we noticed particularly the very beauti- 
ful one of " Joan of Arc" by the Princess Maria d'Orleans, 
who has executed besides this some remarkable pieces, 
that rank her among the highest masters of this beautiful 
art. Notwithstanding her manly deeds, she (Joan) has 
a sweet and gentle womanly face. It is true that energy 
and a determined spirit are quite marked in her features, 
but the heroine of the siege of Orleans, of Compiegne, and 
of Paris, would naturally be supposed to be more mascu- 



NOfES BY THE WAYSIDE. 229 

line, athletic, and powerful than she is here represented, 
She stands with a coat of mail on, probably intended as a 
representation of the armor she wore at the coronation of 
Charles VII. This fine production gave us a differ- 
ent and perhaps a more correct idea of the heroine than 
we had previously entertained. 

From this gallery we passed up a fine flight of stairs 
into the rooms, where are represented the times and deeds 
of the bold Crusaders, and their different battles fought in 
the Holy Land. The ceiling of each of these rooms is 
beautifully decorated, illustrating the personal prowess and 
heroism of individual chevaliers who particularly distin- 
guished themselves. The coats of arms and escutcheons 
of each are also given. There are here some fine specimens 
of carving and gilding in vine work and flowers, and some 
splendid doors in cedar wood, formerly belonging to the 
Knights of Rhodes, and presented by the Sultan of Turkey 
to Louis Philippe, when he was King of the French. The 
Siege of Jerusalem is an extraordinary painting in many 
respects, and we gazed upon it with feelings of awe and 
horror. There are a large number of figures, — that of 
the wife leaning and weeping over her dying husband, who 
has fallen, wounded, is very fine; they are indeed the pro- 
minent ones of this great picture, and though we again 
and again surveyed its multitude of striking characters so 
vividly and minutely portrayed, our eyes were invariably 
attracted to those two figures, so full of a deep and melan- 
choly interest. The anguish of the wife's features, and 
the stamp of death on the husband's, are depicted with 
a painful truthfulness. The dead and the dying, frightful 



230 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

wounds and flowing gore, all the realities and horrors of a 
battle, are vividly displayed. 

There are also several copies in plaster of the torrfbs of 
fallen heroes. In one of these rooms we noticed a magnify 
cent painting of the meeting of Francis I. of France 
and Henry VIII. of England, on the celebrated Field of 
the Cloth of Gold. It gives one, no doubt, a good idea of 
that royal and gorgeous pageant. 

In this wing there is also a salle de V opera, or theatre, 
connected with the palace, of considerable magnitude and 
beauty, which the court, nobility, ambassadors of the 
several foreign courts, and distinguished military and civil 
functionaries and characters, used to frequent ; but now it 
is closed, though decorated as it was when last used. This 
place has been lighted on grand occasions with ten thou- 
sand wax candles at once, it is said ; and the appearance of 
the place, with beauty gracing every box, sparkling eyes, 
gorgeous dresses, and flashing jewels on every side, must 
have been superior to anything of the kind that plebeian 
eyes are often dazzled with. On the visit of the Queen 
of England and Prince Consort to the present court, at 
the grand entertainment given in this palace, the state 
dinner was given here, and four hundred covers were laid. 

Leaving the theatre, we passed on (still in the right wing) 
through successive suits of saloons, with historical paint- 
ings, statuary, and portraits in rich profusion, all of them 
worthy of the places they adorned. These are the mag- 
nificent saloons and halls in which successive kings, 
queens, emperors and empresses, with their splendid courts, 
have reveled and luxuriated, lived and passed away, for 
many long years. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 231 

And now we pass on again through halls, saloons, and 
galleries decorated with marvels of beauty of all shapes 
and sizes, and into the magnificent state apartments. In 
the Salle de Constantine we think it was, is hung the 
Retreat from Russia — really an awful representation of 
the doomed army during that terrible flight. You see the 
dead, dying, and frozen men, the deep snow, the lurid and 
murky sky, the sadness and hopelessness of rider and horse, 
the burning city in the distance, the driving snow, cover- 
ing man, horse, cannon, caisson, everything — it is too 
gloomy and terrible, and we never wish to look upon the 
like again. Though it is but paint upon canvas, and but 
too like the reality, we would wish to forget it. The 
various battles of Napoleon, or rather scenes from them, 
we presume, are faithfully depicted by numbers of artists ; 
and one turns wearied and half-sickened from the hurly- 
burly of men and horses, dead, dying, frightfully wounded, 
or fiercely encountering — the smoke and flash of the deadly 
volleys, the charging columns of infantry and the rush- 
ing cavalry. In these pictures we look in vain for that 
" pomp, pride, and circumstance of glorious war, which 
make ambition virtue." 

There is one piece in this room, the Surprise of the Arab 
Camp, in the Algerine War, painted by Horace Yernet, 
remarkable for its immense size, the multitude of its 
figures, and the magnificence of the coloring. It is one 
hundred feet long by fifteen in breadth. When first ex- 
hibited in 1845 it attracted great attention, and was visited 
by immense crowds. The carnage is shocking ; men, 
women and children, camels, horses, cattle and gazelles 
are intermingled and flying before the storm of war, which 



232 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

has burst upon the camp like an Alpine avalanche, while 
the pursued and pursuers are fighting in deadly hand to 
hand conflict, "no quarter" expressed too plainly in every 
fierce countenance. Fire and sword pursue the flying, 
fugitives far over the arid plains. The deep scowl of re- 
venge and deadly hatred of the Arabs, the frightened and 
trembling though beautiful countenances of the Circas- 
sian slaves and the women of the harem, the maddened 
animals and sorrowful-looking, heavy-laden camels, the 
bleeding victims of sabre and musket ball, the bloodthirsty 
expression in the faces and gestures of the victors, the livid 
and motionless forms of the ghastly dead — all these things, 
and all else that help to make up war's horrors, are placed 
before you. It is truly a wonderful painting. 

We observed in this room a very fine portrait of Abdel- 
Kader. According to it, the heroic Arab chief has a 
remarkably noble-looking physiognomy, denoting great 
intellect, determination, and judgment. 

The battle piece of the Alma, recently hung up, is not 
in every respect so good as it ought to be, considering the 
interest of its subject. But it of course attracts much at- 
tention. All look with eagerness and admiration on the 
difficult and daring assault by the comparatively small 
body of men through the murderous fire of the artillery, 
and against the serried columns and squadrons of the 
Russians — the old enemies for once united, and the English 
and French side by side, triumphing over their stubborn 
enemy. 

"We passed on to the Chamber of the Grrand Monarque : 
a very handsome one. In it is a curious clock, which plays 
a sweet chime at the striking of each hour of the day, 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 233 

and sets in motion some ingenious machinery by which a 
file of soldiers of the guard appears, then a cojck comes out 
and flaps his wings; Louis XIV. in all his dignity comes 
forward, and a figure "of Victory descends from the alcove 
and places a crown on the royal head of the monarch. 

There is also in the adjoining room another clock worth 
looking at. It shows the days of the week, month, and 
year, the phases of the moon^ revolutions of the earth and 
the planets, and the minute and second and hour of the 
day — a very curious and intricate piece of mechanism, well 
worth seeing. 

We passed into the room in which the unfortunate Marie 
Antoinette slept when the infuriated mob burst into the 
palace. * The side door by which she escaped was pointed 
out to us. "We were also shown the room in which Louis 
XV. died, and another where the royal family used to sit 
and see the game brought in by the royal hunting parties, 
and counted by the gamekeepers in the court-yard. 

Thence we passed into the suit of rooms finished with 
various kinds of marble, decorated in the highest style of 
art, with frescoes, gilding, and paintings. The wainscot- 
ing, jams of all the doors and windows, the panel work, 
pilasters and cornices over the windows, are all of marble 
of different varieties. The decorations of these rooms are 
exceedingly magnificent. But the Grande Galerie des 
Glace?, looking out upon the garden, wood, and fountains 
on the west side, where the great state ball was given to 
Victoria and Albert, throws them all into the shade ; it is 
really too dazzling and gorgeous for pen to describe. It is 
believed to be the most highly finished room in the world. 
It is 242 feet long, 35 feet wide, and 43 feet high. Marble 



234 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

and gold, magnificent frescoing and carving, colonnade, 
arches and splendid mirrors, are combined with the best 
taste. It is at the same time grand and brilliant. The 
floor, too, is polished as smooth as the finest glass. The 
vaulted ceiling, divided into twenty-seven compartments, 
allegorically representing the great events in the life of 
Louis XIV., was painted entirely by that distinguished 
artist, Le Brun. There are four niches, with exquisite 
marble statues of Venus and Adonis, Minerva and Mercury. 
This room when lit up by its ten thousand burning lamps, 
must equal those scenes we read of in the stories of the 
Arabian Nights. The sixty Corinthian pilasters of red 
marble, with their golden capitals and bases, and the sev- 
enteen great mirrors, corresponding in size, and opposite to 
each of the seventeen windows, and the gorgeous decora- 
tions around and above, must present a fairy scene in 
which the flights of fancy and the pictures of the imagi- 
nation are surpassed by reality. Comparisons are odious, 
but one cannot help surmising as to what the Queen of 
England thought of her palaces compared with this. She 
must have acknowledged to herself that Windsor's lordly 
halls were quite plain and modest compared with these 
gay and imperial saloons of her French neighbor. Yet 
we do not suppose that the good Queen returned home 
from her visit with anything like discontent, or that she 
envied the splendors of her royal cousin. (All those per- 
sonages whose heads are crowned are " cousins" we believe.) 
It was from the balcony of the centre windows of this 
room that the royal guests of Napoleon and Eugenie were 
entertained, after the splendid fete of the evening (said 
to have been the most brilliant assemblage ever assembled 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 235 

in this royal hall, exceeding even the magnificent fetes 
of olden time), by the famous display of fireworks, which 
ended with an accurate representation in blazing lights of 
Windsor Castle — so perfect that every cornice, turret, and 
window was visible to the surprised beholders. It was 
a most pleasing surprise, and an unparalleled exhibition. 
The mechanical genius that planned and executed the 
machinery necessary to produce the effect, deserved to have 
a pension. No such fireworks were ever before seen. 

The magnificent marble work of this room is very 
agreeable in effect, and everywhere so admirably joined 
that the places where it does join can hardly be distin- 
guished without the closest inspection. "We could never 
have imagined the real beauty and splendor of this saloon 
without seeing it. 

From here we again made our way through suite after 
suite of rooms, all gorgeous and beautiful, to the Grande 
Gralerie des Batailles, another long and very magnificent 
saloon, being 393 feet in length, 42 high and 42 wide. By 
some this is called the gallery of Apollon. To relieve the 
great length of the room, and for support of the ceiling, 
at each end have been placed eight beautiful double com- 
posite columns, and in the centre sixteen on each side, of 
the same order, forming a kind of arcade, that serves as a 
support to the noble arches and the dome that rise above 
it. The ornamental work and frescoing is on the same 
scale as in the other rooms. The walls on either side are 
hung with splendid pictures of the most important battles 
in which France took part from the year 492 to the battle 
of Wagram. Among the battles of Napoleon, on the right 
hand side of the gallery, we were quite surprised to see 

10* 



236 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

the great painting of the memorable surrender of Lord 
Cornwalli s to Washington at Yorktown. The British and 
American armies are drawn up in long lines in the distance, 
and by the side of Washington, most conspicuous in his 
suite, stands the gallant and noble Rochambeau. It is a 
very fine picture, but rather tame we thought for the sub- 
ject. Among the most remarkable paintings here are the 
battles of Wagram, Austerlitz, Jena, and Fontenoy. These 
depict the horrors of war with all truthfulness — its ghastly 
and repulsive aspect, as well as its glory. 

" The cannon-mouthings loud 
Heave in wide wreaths the battle shroud, 
And gory sabres rise and fall 
Like sheets of flame in midnight pall." 

We fancy, looking on these pictures, we can hear the 
loud drum and twanging horn, the booming cannon and 
rattling musketry ; they show you serried ranks and 
columns, impregnable squares, the charge where bayonet 
crosses bayonet, the dogged retreat, the hot pursuit, the 
unheeded dead, the gay uniforms, the flaunting banners, 
the dashing cavalry — all 

" Battle's magnificently stern array." 

Most of the battle pieces and scenes in the life of Na- 
poleon are below, filling in all fourteen saloons, and de- 
scending the grand staircase we walked through them. But 
we must note this staircase, which is all finished with 
highly polished marbles, and is the most magnificent one 
we have anywhere seen. We could with great pleasure 
have sat down and looked at this splendid work for hours. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 237 

But we could not indulge ourselves so far, and we hurried 
on through the Salle Napoleon, then through the sixteen 
other saloons of the admirals and marshals of France, and 
then through another gallery 327 feet long, occupied by- 
statues of military heroes. 

The walls were truly but speaking canvas, while the 
ceilings were almost redolent with the exquisite frescoes — 
flowers, allegories, and triumphal processions. Among the 
multitude of paintings, each vying with the other for su- 
periority, we noticed more particularly the Coronation of 
Josephine, the Battle of Marengo, the Presentation of the 
Eagles of France, by the great Napoleon, to his armies, in 
1804, the wonderful Passage of St. Bernard, and the ter- 
rible Battle of Aboukir. But Napoleon, in the camp, 
council, and field of battle, is portrayed on every side ; all 
his campaigns are placed before us, from the rising of his 
star, in his first campaigns in Italy, to and including its 
setting at Waterloo. 

From these rooms and gallery we again mounted a 
staircase to the saloons containing the portraits of all the 
kings of France, as well as her queens, empresses, princes, 
princesses, dukes, duchesses, and most distinguished nobil- 
ity, from the earliest times. Conspicuous among this 
vast collection is the family of Louis XIV., which must 
have been highly favored by nature as to beauty. There 
are here also the portraits of kings, princes, presidents, and 
distinguished personages of every country, not excepting 
our own ; for among them we noticed Washington, both 
the Adamses, Jackson, Madison, Monroe, Clay, Calhoun, 
Webster, (a splendid likeness, and by far the best we 



238 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

ever saw of him, painted or engraved,) Polk, and several 
others. 

The present Queen Victoria, and her uncle George IV., 
Prince Albert, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Cambridge, 
and others of the nobility of England, are quite promi- 
nently displayed in a compartment by themselves. An 
incident occurred here, which we must record. 

A jolly English gentleman with us, and who had been 
in these galleries several times before, noticed a French 
soldier quite intently looking at Queen Victoria, and in a 
good-natured way addressed him in French, and showed 
him where the Queen, when on a visit to the Emperor, sat 
down here, and looked at her uncle, husband, and self. 
He immediately doffed his chapeau, touched the place 
where she had sat, raised the hand to his lips, kissed it with 
enthusiasm, and exclaimed, in the exuberance of his feel- 
ings, "Vive la Victoria! vive la Victoria!" It spoke vol- 
umes to us, and we could but conclude that the alliance 
of England and France, so far as the army is concerned, 
is much stronger, at least more enthusiastic, than we had 
supposed. But we all know the whole nation and race of 
Frenchmen are exceedingly enthusiastic — and enthusiasm 
is not of a very durable nature. 

Having walked through the six miles of galleries and 
saloons, we made our way into the orangery, garden, and 
refreshing wood. The pictures we had seen had fairly 
satiated us for one day. The number of them exceeded 
four thousand five hundred in this palace alone, and 
besides these afe the immense number of busts, statues, 
and remarkable curiosities, that no visitor should pass hur- 
riedly by. The magnificent frescoes are not numbered, and 






NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 239 

these alone are well worthy of the closest inspection, in- 
deed some of them are justly counted by the best judges 
araons: the rarest works of art. 

No expense has been spared to make the grounds and 
gardens correspond in style and beauty with the palace 
they surround. With about ten thousand laborers and 
thirty thousand soldiers specially detailed to assist the work- 
men, in making the vast excavations, removing the im- 
mense quantities of earth to be used in constructing the 
grand terraces, planting trees, making artificial lakes and 
canals, &c, &c, the whole was twenty-five years in 
building, and cost the enormous sum of 1,000,000,000 
francs, or two hundred million of dollars ! No wonder, 
with the wars France has had, that she, too, has a national 
debt. 

The extent and magnificence of the grounds surprised 
us. The orangery, though old, is in excellent order, and 
has one tree over four hundred years of age. Out of this 
garden the present emperor has presented to the directors, 
to adorn the palace at Sydenham, a large number of the 
finest trees. Speaking of Sydenham, we thought that, and 
its grounds, an elysium, as it surely is ; but these gardens 
are quite as beautiful, if not more so, because of their 
age. 

How charming are the grand terraces, sweet flowery 
parterres, long avenues of lofty trees, magnificent foun- 
tains, curiously trimmed evergreens, fine open lawns, and 
pleasant walks, sunny or shady, as you may prefer. The 
marble ballustrades and railings between the terraces are 
very finely cut, and ornamented here and there with vases 
filled with flowers. The gardens are also adorned with a 



240 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 

profusion of marble statuary, and numbers of fountains, 
with figures of mythological characters : Proteus and Nep- 
tune, Apollo drawn in a chariot by four horses ; dolphins, 
tritons, dragons, cupids, angels, and sea monsters. Then 
there is here an immense artificial waterfall from a deep 
cavern, surrounded by water-nymphs, and some quite 
broad lakes, gleaming with the golden hues of the setting 
sun, all of which combined to form a scene truly noble and 
beautiful. Nor did it detract from their beauty that there 
were several thousands of men, women and children, in 
the garden, woods, and on the grassy lawns, all attired in 
their holiday clothes, their spirits apparently in holiday 
glee, enjoying themselves as the French people only seem 
to know how, while the delightful strains of music from 
the seventy instruments of the band of the Carabiniers, 
(the second best band in the French army,) which plays 
here every pleasant afternoon from three o'clock to five, 
resound through the spacious grounds, amidst the trees, 
echoing from the palace walls, enlivening everything, and 
adding to the cheerfulness of the gay groups and prome- 
naders — 

" A perpetual feast of nectar'd sweets, 
Where no crude surfeit reigns." 

We were satisfied that art could do no more to soothe 
the senses or solace the cares of life. Indeed, the most 
miserable misanthrope ought to find some consolation and 
happiness here. Darkness closed in upon us too soon, 
and though we had drunk deep at the fountain of pure and 
intellectual pleasure, and were tired with sight-seeing, we 
were loth to bid adieu to this lovely place, this refreshing 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 241 

and balmy retreat. Like summer skies, fair to view and 
beaming with resplendent light, will the sweet memory of 
this never-to-be-forgotten royal residence long glow within 
Our hearts. 

No wonder Napoleon and Josephine loved it, and that it 
ever has been a favorite resort of kings. The luxurious 
shady avenues, the solitary walks of perfect quiet, the 
lovely arbors and temples, and its vast extent, all contri- 
bute to make it as lovely a spot as art and nature can pro-, 
duce. As we passed out of its splendid iron gateway, we 
involuntarily turned to look towards the scene we were 
leaving, and bid it farewell, 

Versailles and Sydenham ! twin memories of rosy fra- 
grance, earthly realization of the dreams of youth, and of 
the imaginings of poets. 

" Oh ! wad some power the giftie gie us" 

to tell you all how beautiful they are ! 

In many respects we are pleased to say that Paris is a 
model city ; everywhere it is neat, clean, and well wa- 
tered. Policemen are vigilant and attentive to the wants 
of both citizens and strangers. The " rascally cab-men" 
are particularly watched, and are not permitted to impose 
upon strangers, as the following incident will show : 

One day, after we had alighted from our cabriolet, at the 
front of the Palais Royal, paid the driver, and were passing 
in beneath the colonnade, a quiet-looking gentleman stepped 
up to us, touched his hat, and asked us in French to tell 
him how much we had paid for our ride, and where he had 
driven us from. We did not fully comprehend him, when, 
finding us to be Americans, he asked us in very good 



242 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

English the same questions. "We then discovered him to 
he one of the Secret Police, in ordinary citizens' dress. He 
had seen the cahriolet driver when he had driven us up, 
and noticed that he was well satisfied with the price we 
had paid him, and ihinking he had overcharged us marked 
him. We had purposely paid him five sous over-price, as 
a small gratuity, hecause he had driven us unusually fast, 
agreeably to our wishes ; hut this policeman thought he 
had wrongfully overcharged the fare on us. We explained 
to him that we had given him a few sous over-fare gratui- 
tously ; when he politely thanked us for the information, 
returned to his duties, and the cabman went on his way 
rejoicing. If he had overcharged us he would have been 
made to refund his whole charge, and to pay a fine. 
This fact opened our eyes to the system of universal police 
surveillance, and we concluded that there is efficiency of 
the police force under the monarchy of Napoleon III., if 
not under the democracy of Mayor "Wood of New- York. 
It should be always borne in mind in Paris that your next 
neighbor at a table d'hote, on the promenade, or wherever 
you are, may be a secret policeman. The system ramifies 
through every class and grade of society, and penetrates 
the rich saloon, the mansion, the hut, the fashionable pro- 
menade, as well as the haunts of the low and vicious, and 
every place of every kind of pleasure. 

Shop-keepers, millinery establishments, restaurants, and 
hotel men are sure to fleece Americans and English, if 
they can ; and we learned by experience that the price of 
the two former should never be paid as asked, and a bar- 
gain beforehand should always be made with the latter. 

Women are everywhere employed as clerks and waiters, 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 243 

even in most of the railway offices, which we very much 
liked. Men can do other labor better, and which would be 
unsuitable for the softer sex to undertake. We liked to 
see so many women here so usefully employed in various 
kinds of business, and think in our country there is a great 
chance for improvement in this respect. Another thing we 
particularly liked was, that every carriage, cabriolet, and 
fiacre has, fixed in the back of the driver's seat, before 
your eyes, a watch, regulated by city time ; and you always 
ride on time, paying by the fifteen minutes, half hour, or 
hour. 

Very few beggars are to be seen in the streets, from 
which we concluded that plenty of work is to be had, and 
that the people as a mass are prosperous, and comparatively 
comfortable, and as well to do as can be expected under 
existing laws and rule. Of course 'tis not to be expected 
that the people are to have the enjoyment of the largest 
liberty, whether they be rich or poor. If it be true that 

" 'Tis Liberty alone that gives the pleasure 
Of fleeting life, its lustre and perfume, 
And we are weeds without it," 

the Parisians don't seem to think so, but enjoy life very 
well with what liberty they have, otherwise Napoleon III. 
would not long be monarch ; for, in spite of the armies and 
fortifications, with which he keeps fickle Paris steady, the 
French would, no doubt, free themselves from his shackles 
if they hung upon the nation very heavily. 

But we must give our unqualified testimony and belief 
that now, on every hand, there is apparent happiness. 
So far as we have seen, the people live and enjoy life on the 



244 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

principle, so far as they possibly can, expressed by the 
poet : — 

" Why should we seek to anticipate sorrow, 

And throw the sweet flowers of the present away 1 
"Why muse on the gathering clouds of to-morrow, 
Forgetting the generous sun of to-day 1 

" Cherish hope ! and though life by affliction be shaded, 
Still its ray shall shine lovely, and gild the scene o'er : 
Like the dew-drops, that glisten on leaves when they're faded, 
As bright and as clear as they glistened before." 

Perhaps the explanation is that the French people have 
a peculiar faculty for taking things easy, as matter of 
course, and can accommodate themselves to circumstan- 
ces, even where circumstances do not exactly accommo- 
date them. 

But we must close this long letter, and be off to-morrow 
from this gay and never-to-be-forgotten metropolis, to 
Belgium, Brussels, the field of Waterloo, &c, and thence 
back to England, to prepare for our homeward journey 
early in the month 



LETTER No. XII. 

Brussels, Belgium, September 25th, 1857. 

Dear Father F * # # * : 

Having finished up Paris pretty effectually for the time 
and strength we had, and being anxious to make the most 
of our time while on the Continent, in place of going to 
Fontainebleau and its grand old woods, and to the Emperor's 
camp at Chalons, we took the train to this city, renowned 
in song and prose by Southey, Byron, and Scott, and so 
many others. On our way we passed through the venera- 
ble old town of Amiens, which you will remember as 
having one of the finest old cathedrals in Europe ; also Va- 
lenciennes, celebrated far and wide, for its laces &c, and 
probably better known to the ladies than the gentlemen on 
either side of the water, We took the cars at the station 
in the Place'de la Dankerque, and found the road a very 
excellent one, the country quite pleasant all the way, 
though the scenery has too much sameness. The carriage 
roads look good, and everywhere are lined on either side 
with noble trees, forming avenues from town to town. 
There is but little wood and forest, none that is natural ; 
all that we have seen being planted. There are occasion- 
ally small and well wooded parks, and choicely kept lawns, 
that look very refreshing and beautiful. Here and there 



246 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

may "be seen a gentleman's or nobleman's chateau embow- 
ered in sweet groves of shrubbery, and of stately old oaks, 
elms and poplars. 

We note the great difference between the English and 
French people with reference to their houses. Where the 
latter has a house he wants the world passing by him to 
know it, and if trees surround it he opens a view to it, so 
that all passers-by may see it ; while the former almost in- 
variably barricades his home, whether a cottage or a fine 
mansion, as well as he can, behind brick or stone walls, 
woods or forests, or at least a fence or live hedge, so that 
it is secluded as much as may be from outside observation. 
But the one enjoys home comforts, lives with his dear ones 
at home in peace and the enjoyment of every luxury he 
can afford (scarcely ever being extravagant, and having 
those he cannot afford), always singing in his heart — 

" dear, is my cottage, unclouded by sorrow !" 

while the other is ever fond of display, lives all he can out- 
of-doors, makes parade of all his worldly possessions at 
every opportunity, lives quite as fast he can, taking all 
the enjoyment he can to day, leaving to-morrow to provide 
for itself. 

We came to the conclusion that there is too much seclu- 
sion in the one case, while there is too much ostentation 
in the other ; each going to an extreme, missing the happy 
medium. And there is too much stiffness, out-of-doors at 
least, too much caste in the one society (and English caste 
is as deeply rooted among the English as a reverence for 
their castes is among the Hindoos), while the other is as 
volatile and gay as if the people were half butterfly, and 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 247 

ignorant of all distinctions of rank. But these compari- 
sons are odious things, and we will not pursue them. 

After a night's rest, we made our way to the great 
cathedral, which deservedly ranks as one of the very finest 
churches of the old world. It stands on a hill, a fine emi- 
nence, and is both venerable and imposing in its display of 
architecture. The lofty front, with its towers, carved 
apostles and saints, and allegorical figures, turrets, trellis 
work, arches, serni-columns, niches, &c, is very fine in- 
deed. The entrance is now by flights of wooden steps, to 
be replaced by immense blocks of stone, 

The Grothic interior of this cathedral is well pointed and 
arched, the columns and pilasters supporting the roof being 
of immense size and considerable beauty of form. The 
stained-glass windows are of remarkable beauty in color 
and design, and one of them is the oldest known of its size. 
Among these, the most striking to us were those represent- 
ing David and the High Priest at his anointing — the Bap- 
tism of the Saviour — the Saviour's Descent from the Cross 
■ — the Martyrdom of Stephen — -the two last being very fine. 
We were not able to learn who the artist was. The finest 
of all is the Judgment, a vast and imposing window in- 
deed. There was that peculiar softness and richness of 
coloring that everywhere pertain to the old glass, making 
it incomparably superior to modern stained glass. None of 
the new that we have seen can compare with it in any 
respect. There are also some fine sculptures in this 
cathedral, well worth looking at. The pulpit is quite a 
wonderful piece of carving in wood, representing the ex- 
pulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden. Under 
the light clouded canopy is a silver dove descending 



248 NOTfiS SY THE WATr'SlOfL 

to the earth from the glory of heaven, The altar-piece 
is very grand, but not to be compared with the repre* 
sentation of the somewhat similar subject in the Church 
of St. Sulpice, in Paris, which was one of the most 
effective Works of art we ever looked upon. The clouds 
lie piled on clouds, and look as if they were rolling 
away up into the infinite of heaven's eternal blue, like in- 
cense ascending, while the Saviour stands in the midst, 
soaring to the heights of the Eternal's throne. There 
are two very large organs in this church, numerous 
chapels, and some excellent paintings of the old masters^ 
which having lingered over and looked at as long as our 
time would permit, we made our way through the city. 

The streets of the older part of the city are in the quaint 
and projecting style of the olden time, and with their over- 
hanging stories and pointed windows, look very singular 
and queer to us, who have all our lives only been used to 
modern styles of architecture. Most of the streets, both 
in the ancient and more modern part of the city, are nar- 
row and very crooked, with very contracted sidewalks, and 
sometimes none at all, but tolerably well paved and clean. 

The avenues around the city are delightful. Even Paris 
cannot show such boulevards as encircle this very beauti- 
ful city. The noble quadruple rows of lofty elms and 
poplars, in some places arching the roadway and foot pro- 
menades, in all about three hundred feet wide, winding 
around the city in as near as may be a perfect circle, are 
exceedingly fine, and when thronged, as the carriage-way 
oftentimes is in the fashionable season, with hundreds of 
highly finished carriages and dashing equipages, the scene 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 



249 



is highly animated, and more than ordinarily beautiful and 



exciting. 

There are some of the finest drives about Brussels im- 
aginable, and as the city is frequently called " Paris in 
miniature," we were not surprised to find that the people 
here, as at Paris, live as much as they can out-of-doors, and 
that the attention of the government has been directed 
specially to decorations and improvements for the comfort 
and enjoyment of the masses of its subjects. 

Here we saw the most beautiful park we have seen in 
Europe. It is not large, comparatively, but it is a fine 
wood of the noblest forest trees to be found on this side of 
the Atlantic. There were trees here which brought to 
mind the song to 

" The oak ! the brave old oak ! 
That has stood for a thousand years." 

On one side of the park are the Parliament Houses, con- 
sisting of a Senate and Chamber of Commerce, or House 
of Assembly ; and on the other, immediately opposite, the 
King's Palace : both unostentatious but good-looking build- 
ings, of white free or lime-stone, with handsome colonnaded 
fronts. The Duke and Duchess of Brabant being in the 
picture galleries when we called at the King's Palace, we 
could not gain admittance, lest we should meet their high- 
nesses, which the etiquette of the court forbade. 

The Senate Chamber of the Parliament House, as well 
as the Chamber of Commerce, is finished and furnished 
very neatly,' and is decorated principally with fine polished 
marbles. The private room of the President of the Senate, 
also the King's withdrawing room, are plain but pleasant 



250 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

looking, and are decorated with some elegant paint- 
ings by the best Flemish masters. The portrait of the 
present King Leopold and of his late Queen, are uncom- 
monly fine, and look life-like in every particular of form, 
drapery, and expression. 

The palace of the Duke of Orange and large numbers 
of the private mansions are spacious and elegant. Several 
of the principal streets are magnificent, and the entire city 
is well built. 

The view from the Place du Congress, the avenues 
and boulevards, the beautiful Rue Royale, with its long 
rows of fine white buildings of stone, its handsome, private, 
as well as public gardens, and its charming drives, combine 
to make one of the very finest cities of Europe. We can 
truly say that the fair capital of Belgium is without exag- 
geration a beautiful city, and justly the pride of its citizens 
and of the whole nation. 

There are several fine fountains in the city, but the finest 
is in the park before mentioned, which throws jets about 
eighty feet high, which in falling form a perfect star. 
There were also in this park some excellent pieces of 
statuary in marble, and in different parts of the city some 
fine monuments. We noticed particularly the monument 
to Leopold, surmounted by the genius of Liberty and a 
noble lion, the relievo figures in pure white marble, as 
being uncommonly excellent. 

The great and famed equestrian bronze statue of Godfrey 
de Bouillon, one of the noblest and mightiest of the Cru- 
saders, is justly admired by all who have seen it. We 
thought this, and Washington's in Union Square, New- 
York, the two best of this kind of work we have had the 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 251 

pleasure of seeing anywhere, not excepting Mills' statue ' 
of General Jackson at Washington City. The symmetry 
of form, position, feature, muscle, and perfect grace, ease, 
and naturalness of rider and horse are beyond criticism, 
and to our mind perfect. 

The monument to the 900 who fell in the Revolution of 
1830 is a plain granite shaft on either side of the statue 
of Leopold, enclosed with a low iron railing, the surface of 
the ground being oval-shaped, and matted with a carpet of 
soft grass. In the crypt of Leopold's statue are recorded 
the names in full of the whole 900 " martyrs to liberty." 

There are numbers of fine-looking old churches, manu- 
facturing and public buildings, but the Hotel de Yille, one 
of the oldest buildings in the city, is a remarkable struct- 
ure, and, it is -considered by many good judges, has the 
most beautiful spire of almost any building, ancient or 
modern. We certainly looked upon it with great admira- 
tion. Its very delicate turrets, and carved work, now just 
cleaned, show to great advantage ; and so exquisite is 
every turn, point, and outline, that it is not to be wondered 
at that it has been immortalized in both prose and song. 
The population of the city is not far from 300,000, and is 
industrious and frugal. But amon^ the higher and more 
wealthy classes, Fashion has her sway here as well as in 
other cities, and large numbers of very elegantly dressed 
ladies, and withal good-looking too, may always be seen 
in the afternoon promenading in the parks or in the hand- 
some boulevards. The native higher classes speak the 
Flemish language. The people at large, the peasantry and 
hardest- working classes usually look healthy and respect- 

11 



9n9 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE 



able, and are very well formed. There are, however, more 
beggars to be seen here in a three hours' walk in the poorer 
streets than in three weeks in London or Paris. The only 
reason for this, in our opinion, is, that they are profession- 
ally taught to beg of the numerous strangers ; for many of 
the children, and several of the older ones, were quite re- 
spectably dressed, and looked well enough off for both 
clothes and food. Indeed we were fairly beset by them at 
every alley and corner. To the first three or four we gave 
a sous or kreutzer, but soon found, to deal.equally with all, 
we should want a bushel-basket full to satisfy the impor- 
tunities and beseechings of the gathering multitude, and 
we had to repress our generosity and turn a deaf ear to 
the continual applications for relief. In fact we had almost 
to beat them off, and we believe that after having given to 
the first two or three, we were duly marked as game, and 
they had couriers ahead and around us who announced to 
their friends our coming. They were the most intermin- 
able implorers, and had such beseeching looks that they 
were almost irresistible. 

The lace and other manufactures of Brussels are on a 
very extensive scale, and give employment to many thou- 
sands. The lace of Brussels is famed throughout the 
world. The population of the entire kingdom is 4,500,000, 
in a territory of only about 290 miles long and 125 miles 
broad. 

The house of the Duke of Richmond, where the grand 
ball was given on the eve of the battle of "Waterloo, was 
pointed out to us. That " sound of revelry" and the "fair 
women and brave men" assembled there, and the gaiety 
and splendor, and the animations and hopes of all those 






NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 253 

present, came vividly before our minds, as described in 
those fine lines of Byron :— 

" There was a sound of revelry -by night, 
And Belgium's capital had gathered then 

Her beauty and her chivalry, and bright 
The lamps shone o'er fair women and brave men. 
A thousand hearts beat happily ; and when 

Music arose with its voluptuous swell, 
Soft eyes looked love to eyes which spake again, 

And all went merry as a marriage bell : 

When, hush ! hark ! a deep sound strikes like a rising knell ! 

Did you not hear it 1 — no ; twas but the wind, 
Or the cars rattling o'er the stony street ; 

On with the dance ! let joy be unconfiiied : 
No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet. 
To chase the glowing hours with flying feet ! 

But hark ! that heavy sound breaks in once more, 
As if the clouds its echo would repeat ; 

And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before ! 

Arm ! Arm ! it is — it is — the cannon's opening roar J" 

The next morning we mounted the top seats of the 
coach at nine o'clock, for the field of Waterloo. The air 
and sky were fresh and beautiful as heart and senses could 
wish, and with our cheerful compagnons du voyage, the 
enlivening bugle-call, as we rapidly traversed the reverber- 
ating streets and called at the hotels for the visitors for 
the field, the paved road all the way out, lined on each side 
(an admirable practice) with linden, beech, elm, and pop- 
lars, and the delightful- scenery, our ride was enchant- 
ing and n vely as we could desire. That " old paved road," 
over which the thundering cannon and victorious legions had 
marshaled in hot haste for the deadly fray, we traversed 



254 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 



with some of the feelings that animated the breasts of 
those gallant men who, on the ever-memorable 18th day of 
June, 181d, hastened to encounter the foe, to live or die in 
victory ! 

The great commanders, Napoleon and Wellington, at the 
heads of their respective magnificent armies, passed in re- 
view before our minds, and over the gentle and pleasant 
undulations of the smiling fields we could see, in im- 
agination, the rushing squadrons of cavalry, the columns 
of infantry moving into line, the clouds of smoke rolling 
over the thunderbolts of the loud artillery, the glittering 
cuirassiers and clanking dragoons, summoned by the shrill 
bugle-notes, and the fierce charge, the retreat, the triumph, 
Then to and fro we saw the battle rage like the wild 
waves of the sea. Anon the air around us was filled with 
loud shouts of the leading columns in the victorious charge, 
the waving of blood-red banners and golden eagles, the 
unheeded groans of the thousands bleeding in death's ago- 
nies, the neighing of riderless steeds, the rattling of 
drums, and animating strains of martial music, encourag- 
ing the serried ranks to the deadly conflict ; the deep- 
toned and murderous bass of the heavy cannon, and the 
fierce and more deadly rattle of myriads of musketry — all 
were before and around us, and the "proudly gay" of the 
midnight that "brought the signal sound of strife,'' 
lay in heaps on the bosom of their common mother 
earth — 

" Rider and horse — friend, foe — in one red burial blent !" 

Having reached the ground we were politely met by the 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 255 

English guide, Sergeant Munday, who was himself en- 
gaged on the field of battle, and one of the few now living 
who took part in that momentous and. bloody struggle. 
We found him a very intelligent and impartial guide ; per- 
haps we thought him so the more readily, because he ex- 
pressed our own views and opinions relative to the memo- 
rable contest, the arena of which we were viewing. 

The surface of the ground is all that could be desired for 
a fair and open encounter. The undulations are gentle, 
and there are no obstructions or eminences, natural or arti- 
ficial, to aid or impede the operations of an army, except 
La Haye Sainte and the Chateau of Hougomont. The 
possible advantage of position was not much, but what 
there was, was with the allied army. Wellington, no 
doubt, as is alleged, purposely chose this as the field on 
which he would offer to meet the advancing and victorious 
hosts of Bonaparte. Between the positions occupied by 
the opposing armies was a gentle hollow, and the rising 
ground on which the French cannon were ranged was but 
a trifle lower than that of the English. But all along be- 
hind the English artillery and advanced infantry, was an- 
other depression or vale, in which the Duke of Wellington 
kept perfectly protected his reserves and cavalry, and 
where he could move them to and fro, from left to right, as 
occasion required, unseen by Napoleon. This was a great 
point gained in the battle, even before the fray began, and 
shows the consummate generalship of the Duke in select- 
ing his ground, and his skill in making the best of his 
position. 

We saw the spots where Picton, Gordon, and Howard 
fell — the ground over which General Ponsonby with the 



256 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

Scotts Greys, and the Highlanders, charged so gallantly — 
La Haye Sainte, so impetuously taken by the French — the 
directions of Marshal Ney's errand cavalry attacks, that 
shook the earth like rumbling thunder — the place where 
"Wellington looked so eagerly through his telescope for the 
Prussians tinder Blucher, and exclaimed, i% Would to God 
night or Blucher would come !' ? — the ground on which was 
made the steady and unparalleled advances and charges of 
the Imperial Guard, led on first by Napoleon and then by 
Ney, and where no less than eleven times they were sternly 
repulsed by the invincible squares of the British grena- 
diers, till they at last sorrowfully gave up the vain at- 
tempt, suflfering for the first time the mortification of 
defeat — the orchards and gardens, with the chateau of 
Hougomont, now mostly in ruins, being left almost pre- 
cisely as it was the day after the battle — the hedges, the 
ditches, and the said ' ; friendly hollow" — the place where 
Wellington gave the brief but well-understood and prompt- 
ly-obeyed command. " Up, Guards, and at them !" — all this 
was pointed out to us. and though no battle raged around 
us now. how vividly all appeared before us ! The 150,000 
armed men, who, instigated by no malice, no ill-will, no 
interest they understood of their own, stood arrayed in 
arms on this fair field, and obeying, like some wonderful 
machine, their respective commanders, moved and march- 
ed, and shot and slaughtered each other, as drum or bugle, 
or word of superior officer directed — the 400 pieces of can- 
non so courageously and scientifically worked — the smoke 
and the flashing, and the thundering discharges and rat- 
tling volleys of musketry and field-pieces — the cries and 
groans and carnage of that terrible battle — all were gone — 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 257 

ceased — no longer to be heard or seen. All is again serene 
and fresh and tranquil. Still we cannot stand without 
strong interest and emotion upon the field of Waterloo. 

On the rising ground at the back of and near to Hougo- 
mont, we could survey almost the entire field, without ob- 
struction. We were shown the positions occupied by both 
commanders, the place of the " reputed tree" where Wel- 
lington, it has been said by some writers, stationed himself, 
and remained during the whole of the conflict, but which 
statement our guide assured us was incorrect, and he showed 
us a narrow road, where the old Duke was almost constantly 
riding to and fro during the battle, giving orders, receiving- 
reports, and watching, glass in hand, every change and 
movement. This road was immediately in the rear of his 
artillery and advanced lines, and between them and his 
reserves and the sheltering hollow, and was very much 
exposed. 

The orchard of Hougomont, so often taken by the 
French and then recaptured by the English, and the gar- 
dens of the chateau, with its walls and remains of build- 
ings, were the most interesting of all. The red brick 
walls, which the French, under an immense fire, charged 
up to, fired into, and mistook for a line of red coats, is still 
there, perforated with the holes through which the Cold- 
stream (xuards fired at the enemy, who actually seized the 
musket-barrels in their hands, and fought, hand to hand, 
with the desperation of wounded tigers. The totally de- 
stroyed chateau, except a small staircase, the chapel in 
which the wounded were placed, which was set fire to by 
the division under the command of Jerome Bonaparte, and 
which only burned inside to the image of the Saviour, and 



258 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

there stopped, which image is still hanging on the wall, 
perfect as when first put up, except that the toes are burned 
off ; the stable, now rebuilt, in which two hundred wound- 
ed soldiers were burned to death, and the well, which was 
filled with dead and wounded, that has never been emptied, 
and has not been used, even to the present day — looking 
at all these things brought the events and horrors of that 
day like phantoms before our minds. The groans, the 
shrieks, the shouts of vengeance and defiance, still seemed 
to fill the air, as on that day when 

" Thick as autumn shocks, there lay 
The ghastly harvest of the fray, 
The corpses of the slain." 

Near the centre of the field, where the last grand and 
glorious charges — for glorious they were, though unsuc- 
cessful — of the Imperial Gruard were made, is thrown up 
a huge mound of earth, about two hundred feet high, on 
the summit of which proudly stands a noble -British lion, 
of white marble, placed there by the Belgian Government, 
a conspicuous and enduring acknowledgment and memorial 
of the skill and valor that gained the victory over the vic- 
torious veterans of France, led by a general who, though 
here his genius failed him, or fortune forsook him, will 
ever be ranked among the most consummate generals the 
world has produced. 

There are also two other plain but substantial monu- 
ments nearer to the farm of La Haye Sainte, on either 
side of the road leading from Brussels to Grennappes and 
Charleroi ; but the most interesting and striking monu- 
ment of ail is the remains of Hougomont, still a faithful 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 259 

witness to the desperate bravery of vanquished and victor. 
Around these walls the combatants fought as if despising 
life, and even victory — bent solely on mutual extermin- 
ation. 

Having passed from left to right of the field, pretty 
carefully surveyed its topographical peculiarities, and noted 
the places where the most memorable incidents occurred, 
we passed half an hour in the small museum of curiosities, 
relics of arms, &c, that the ploughshare of the husband- 
man' has, from year to year, turned up out of the soil. 
Arms of various kinds, eagles, balls, saddles, cartridge- 
boxes, belts, caps, cloven skulls, boxes, cuirasses, helmets, 
harness, &c, &c, are carefully preserved, and one cannot 
look upon these remains without a feeling of pity and 
melancholy. 

Somehow our visit to this never-to-be-forgotten field, on 
which the destiny of Europe was decided by stern trial by 
battle, made a deep impression upon our mind : it seemed 
to us we had gained a deeper insight into the world's his- 
tory. Different as the two scenes are, we were reminded 
of the feelings and reflections with which we wandered 
amidst the solemn aisles and monuments of Westminster 
Abbey. We felt deeply how, alike in peace and war, time 
and death are all-conquering ; and were taught that valor, 
genius, virtue, ambition, all must meet, whether they pre- 
pare for it or not, the same doom— 

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." 

As we wandered over the now peaceful scene, our con- 
viction was strengthened that Napoleon went into battle 
too confident of victory- — too confident of his own superi- 

11* 



260 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

ority over the general opposed to him — too confident in the 
enthusiasm, courage, and discipline of his noble and well- 
tried troops. Had he husbanded his cavalry and reserves as 
carefully as did Wellington, and guarded, as he easily might 
have done, his right against the advancing Prussians, the 
result of the contest probably would have been different 
from what it was ; though, perhaps, the final and speedy 
downfall of Napoleon would still have been inevitable. 
But speculation as to what might have been is useless. 
Practical observation of the field, as well as the clear and 
impartial account of Sergeant Munday, and the best de- 
scriptions of the battle, satisfy us that Napoleon did commit 
some blunders, and wasted opportunities in unaccountable 
delays. But this detracts nothing from the great skill, 
foresight, and generalship of Wellington, though probably 
it saved him much trouble, hard fighting, and bloodshed, 
not to speak of the glory of his unparalleled victory. The 
world acknowledges his ability, prudence, and genius ; but 
the arrival of Blucher, and the non-arrival of Grouchy, 
both of them accidents, perhaps, beyond the control of 
those whose fate they determined, will ever be remembered 
in connection with the battle of Waterloo, and, to some 
extent, qualify the great glory which belongs to Welling- 
ton, as the conqueror of Napoleon. 

We had a pleasant ride back to our temporary home, 
and we willingly allowed ourselves to enjoy the very 
pleasant scenery of the country, and to forget the scenes 
and thoughts in which we had become so deeply absorbed. 
The truly magnificent forest of Soignies, with its grateful 
shade, looked like a basking place of luxury and the deep- 
est quiet ; we thought it the finest beech wood we ever 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 261 

beheld, and in our humble opinion would have been an 
impregnable retreat to Wellington and the allied army, in 
case he had had to avail himself of one. It skirts the 
road-side for about three miles, and is about five miles 
long at its greatest length. 

On our way back we were afforded considerable amuse- 
ment by the troops of beggar children that followed the 
coach, pleading for centimes, and often keeping pace with 
it for miles, and seeming determined not to stop till they 
got their full of disappointment, or a centime or two. One 
little fellow, not over eight years of age, ran with us for at 
least three miles and a half, and every now and then, when 
he found a sandy place, showed his activity and dexterity, 
entertaining us by tumbling summersets, handbarrows, 
and other gymnastics. Little ragged bare-legged girls also 
would run and keep pace with us for long distances, and 
most adroitly carl their clothes between their legs and 
show off to quite as good advantage feats of ground and 
lofty tumbling as the boys. Passengers seldom if ever 
give them anything now, as the practice is unquestionably 
a bad one, and ought to be discouraged. 

Having returned to the city in time for a short walk be- 
fore our table dlwte at six o'clock, we improved the time 
by making further acquaintance with its beautiful and 
agreeable promenades. Everywhere we met soldiers, 
quite as prominently and plentifully as in Paris ; usually 
fine-looking men as to size and looks, and in good uniform. 
Indeed we thought them a body of men that would do 
credit to any army. The neatness of their equipments and 
dress, their trim appearance and soldierly bearing might in 



262 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

some respects be imitated with advantage by the military 
of some more powerful nations. 

From Brussels we took the railway to the old-fashioned 
and time-honored city of Antwerp, which we reached in 
an hour and a half. The station-house is outside the 
barriers, and is built in the same style as the neat ones in 
the large towns of our own country. 

Antwerp is said to be the best fortified inland city in 
Europe. And truly, to look at its defences, one would 
imagine they were sufficient to keep out any enemy, how- 
ever numerous or skillful. 

The moat and double line of walls, the embankments 
grown over by great trees, are in the most perfect order, 
while the bastions, glacis of the counterscarp, and parapets 
are or can be planted with cannon that would completely 
sweep each salient point of the front and entire moat. 

We admired these as the only fortifications of the many 
that we have seen, that would be of any particular use in 
actual defence against big guns and a storming of the 
city. 

The moat is about one hundred feet wide, and twelve to 
fifteen feet deep, well filled with water. The inner wall, 
backed up by immense earthen embankments, is about 
forty feet high in front, from the surface of the water to 
the top of the ramparts. The curtains are well protected, 
and the draw and gateways are proportionately strong and 
enormous. The streets through which we drove to our 
hotel, were well paved and solidly built. 

From our hotel we proceeded first to the justly celebrated 
cathedral here, which is the most conspicuous building of 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 263 

the city, as well as one of the oldest edifices of the kind on 
the continent. Indeed it is 

" A vast cathedral, perfect in design, 
Whose walls with blazonry of beauty shine." 

The principal front view is nearly obstructed by a range 
of low one and two story rickety and ill-looking shops 
stuck in around the base, and looking like miserable funoi 
growing on a beautiful and stately tree. But as the eye 
looks upward, the beautiful and noble architecture unfolds 
itself in all its splendor and grandeur, and the delicately 
carved work, so admirably and clearly defined, loses none 
of its distinctness, order, and beauty, even to the top of the 
cross of the wonderful spire, which is the chef cfceuvre of 
all the spires we have seen. Time and smoke have be- 
grimed the whole, but still the fine and chaste work is 
there, and where it has recently been cleaned off it shows 
all its original perfection and beauty. The proportions are 
exquisite, and the eye is truly delighted in surveying its 
tapering and majestic height, and its thoroughly artistic 
grace and perfection of detail. The spire of the Hotel de 
Ville at Brussels is beautiful, but this as far exceeds it as 
that does the spire of Trinity Church, at the head of Wall 
street, New- York. The whole detail of the front is alto- 
gether too elaborate for description in these off-hand 
sketches. We admired it very much indeed, and could 
compare it only with Lincoln Cathedral in England. 

The great tower contains a chime of bells of uncommon 
softness and sweetness of tone. They play at each hour 
and half hour, and their music was as grateful and silvery 



264 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

\ 

as " those evening bells," so familiar to our childhood's ear. 
The whole structure is well preserved. On entering we 
were highly pleased with the fine proportions and massive 
appearance of the edifice. The lofty roof is supported by 
immense columns, quite equal to those of Notre Dame, 
and not bedizened with incongruous papering, like the latter 
building, as we mentioned when speaking of it, but tower- 
ing upwards in strength and beauty, pleasing and satisfy- 
ing the eye of the beholder with their substance and 
solidity. 

The great altar is of beautiful white marble, decorated 
with the richest gilding, and a very magnificent statue of 
the Virgin Mary, combining a heavenly sweetness with 
her earthly love. It has the richest gold crucifix we have 
yet seen, and some massive silver candlesticks. There are 
several beautiful paintings suspended on the principal 
walls, and some fine statuary in the niches. 

The statue of Bishop Ambrosius Capello we noticed par- 
ticularly, and it is uncommonly well done ; the drapery 
we thought quite extraordinary — for nothing could exceed 
the imitation of the folds, plaits, and rich lace, as well as 
embroidery, which is as natural to look upon as if the real 
lace itself were temporarily suspended over his vestments. 

As high mass was being said, and we did not wish to 
be pointed out as intruders, we had not an opportunity 
of examining the sacristy and chapels, as we very much 
wished to, but we did take a good and long look at Rubens' 
greatest painting here. 

We had seen almost everywhere paintings of Christ on 
the Cross, his Descent from the Cross, the Elevation of the 
Cross, and other scenes of the crucifixion, but the greatest 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 265 

painting of all is the Descent from the Cross, by Rubens, 
in this cathedral. This is the finest of the many paintings 
we have seen of subjects of this character. Its great repu- 
tation was fully sustained ; we felt no disappointment. 
The serene and heavenly calmness — the submissive royalty, 
bowing before his cruel kins-people, without a murmur, 
"even as a lamb led to the slaughter" — the pale G-od-man 
brow, without a line of stormy passion — the eye in meek- 
ness uplifted — the lips even in that hour of agony breath- 
ing in prayer, " Father, forgive them : they know not what 
they do" — the livid flesh and strained muscles, and, shining 
through and supreme over all, the great benignity and 
divinity of "that love of the only begotten of the Father," 
who " so loved the world that he gave his only Son for the 
redemption of the world" — all these are vividly depicted, 
and the spectator gazes on the wonderful work, till he al- 
most forgets that it is a production of art, and his sympa- 
thies are excited, as though he beheld a suffering living 
Saviour. 

" Majestic sweetness sits enthroned 
Upon his sacred brow ; 
His head with radiant glories crowned, 
His lips with grace o'erflow." 

The man must have possessed a genius of the highest 
order, who could produce such a painting of the Crucifixion ! 

The two thieves on either side of the Saviour are ghastly 
and horrifying figures. One of them has torn his foot in 
his death struggles, from the wood to which it % was nailed. 
The mental and bodily agony he writhes beneath are por- 
trayed with terrible truthfulness. 



266 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

But Christ absorbs every thought and feeling in looking 
on this picture ; we 

" See from his head, his hands, his feet, 
Sorrow and love flow mingled down ! 

The longer we gaze upon this representation of Him, the 
more assured we feel that, 

" Unheard by mortals, there are strains 

That sweetly soothe the Saviour's woe," 

and exclaim in the beautiful words of the great poet 
Montgomery :— 

" Truly this was the Son of God, 
Though in a servant's mean disguise : 

And bruised beneath the Father's rod, 
Not for himself, — for man he dies. 7 ' 

The other great painting of Rubens, considered his 
third best, the Elevation of the Cross, we missed, which 
we very much regretted. 

In passing out we noticed that the carved oak seats and 
canopies looked more like those in Lincoln Cathedral, than 
any we had elsewhere seen either in England or on the 
Continent. The singing was excellent, though we were 
far more absorbed in painting than in music, and did not 
hear much of it or af the great organ. 

While passing through the old and narrow streets, the 
tall six, seven, and eight story buildings, with gables to the 
street, and steps up from the eaves to the highest point of 






NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 267 

the steep roofs, had to us a singular appearance. And 
again some of them almost form archways over the streets 
by the projections of the different stories. The buildings 
are all substantial, being constructed of brick and stone ; 
numbers of the more modern ones are quite handsome, the 
ornamental work of some of them very much to be ad- 
mired. The public buildings, old burgomaster's house 
ard ancient town hall, are quaint but large and solid 
structures. The Museum is an old and irregular building, 
well worth visiting, having a large collection of paintings, 
statuary, and curiosities. Just at the right of the principal 
entrance is a statue in marble of the great painter Yan 
Dyke, which is very much admired as a work of great 
merit. 

We visited the Church of St. Jerome, one of the old 
churches not very remarkable outwardly for anything but 
hoary age and solidity, but the inside most richly repays a 
visit, the whole of it being finished in polished marbles of 
various colors and countries. The walls are hung with 
productions of Rubens, Velasquez, Murillo, Van Dyke, 
and other great masters, that vie with each other for supe- 
riority. The Apostles and sundry saints in full length, the 
Virgin Mary and Infant Saviour (one of Rubens' finest 
efforts, and said by some to be his very best,) are very ex- 
quisite indeed. "What expression and divine beauty beam 
out of that lovely picture ! We were quite enraptured with 
it, but it must be seen to be justly admired. There is a 
maidenly grace, naivete, and charm about this picture that 
powerfully draw one towards it, and the more you look at 
it the more captivated you become. 

The column work, panel work, with crosses in each 



268 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

centre, pilasters, and railings, with interlacing vine work, 
are all in marble, and quite extraordinary. There are 
a number of chapels finished with marble, and adorned 
with magnificent paintings and statuary. One with Mary 
and Joseph in full length, with a wreath of cherubic heads 
and garlands of flowers around them, is certainly, as a 
whole, one of the most beautiful pieces of sculpture we 
have anywhere seen. 

The statues of the saints Susan, Catherine, Christiana, 
and Anna, in another chapel, are lovely pieces of work, 
and really delightful to the eye and senses. A short marble 
rail enclosing an altar to the Virgin Mary, interlaced 
with cherub heads, intermixed with ears of corn (Indian 
maize), is uncommonly fine, as to design and execution, 
and must have required an immense amount of labor. 

There is a fine font of alabaster here, which, though 
quite large, is covered with a magnificent figured and em- 
bossed gold cover of great weight and value. It was 
arranged to be drawn up when the font is used, by a 
heavy cord of silk on pulleys, and ornamented with large 
bullion tassels. The sacristy, organ, massive bronze doors, 
several stained-glass windows, and the altar piece, were all 
very fine. 

From this we made our way to the celebrated Church of 
St Jaques, certainly one of the finest churches of the 
many we have seen, and one which never ought to be 
passed by by any visitor to Belgium. The building is not 
very large, though it is by no means small or in anywise 
contracted in its dimensions. The outside is not unlike 
that of St. Jerome. The tout ensemble of the inside is 
perfect, and the finish is quite as exquisite in its way as the 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 



269 



Madeline at Paris, though of a different order. Like that 
of St. Jerome, the finish is of marble, and the intermixture 
of black and white and variegated marbles is done in a 
most workmanlike and artistic manner. The walls of the 
church as well as the chapels are adorned with num- 
bers of Rubens' best paintings. This church also con- 
tains the remains of that distinguished artist and two of 
his daughters, in a chapel by themselves, just behind the 
great altar. It is plain and simple, containing nothing 
particularly striking beside the monuments, which are 
master-pieces, and cannot fail to be looked upon by all 
who visit this shrine with more than ordinary interest. 
He who could produce on canvas for the delight and in- 
struction of ages such great events, so naturally, though in 
such splendor, depicting man and woman — humanity in all 
phases and circumstances — all passions from brutal lust 
even to divine love — was certainly entitled to a noble monu- 
ment. But in fact he has an imperishable monument in 
each of his magnificent works. 

There are a large number of splendid marble statues 
here. Those of the twelve Apostles, each life size, in the 
purest white marble, are worth the closest scrutiny, as they 
will bear the severest criticism. We looked upon them 
with the deepest admiration, we might almost say absolute 
veneration. Each one seemed more lovely than the other. 
"We could not learn the sculptor's name. 

There is also in this church a sculptured representation 
of the Crucifixion, which is truly a surprising piece of work. 
Every muscle, every lineament, is produced with an accu- 
racy, a minuteness and delicacy, that we should have 
thought unattainable by the artist's chisel. The varied 



270 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

expression of the countenances of the figures is so natural 
as to painfully excite the sympathies of the spectator. The 
face and form of the Saviour especially impress one most 
vividly. Anguish and cruel suffering are depicted on the 
countenance, hut overpowered hy inexhaustihle patience 
and meekness, and all-enduring love. The Roman soldiery, 
the faithful weeping women, the two thieves, and other 
figures are finely done; each individual character is a study 
of itself. But the spectator's attention and interest are 
almost ahsorhed hy the matchless figure of the dying 
Saviour. 

The tomh of Yelsco, a Spanish grandee, who is buried 
beneath it, in one of the side chapels, with the remarkable 
representation of Death and the Hour-glass, is a surprising 
piece of work — the human- skeleton, in white marble, be- 
ing particularly striking. You see before you man, his 
soul departed, his fleshly covering stripped from him ! 

Several of the stained-glass windows here are among the 
best we have seen. We noticed particularly a small land- 
scape scene, we believe the Mount of Olivet, with the city 
of Jerusalem in the distance, which was very pleasing, and 
beautifully colored. Joseph and Mary going down into 
Egypt, is also a lovely picture. Our arrangements did not 
permit us to spend so much time in the church as we 
wished, though no doubt we have already occupied more 
than enough of your time with our faint and imperfect 
descriptions of things, of which even the best of describers, 
a Scott or a Cooper, could convey onty very inadequate 
ideas. 

We next looked in at the Exchange — a neat building, 
principally of iron and glass. It happened to be "high 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 271 

change 5 ' — -at least we supposed so — for the rotunda was 
literally packed full of substantial-looking business men — 
all eagerly engaged in buying and selling. 

The markets we visited were well-stocked with meats, 
fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The market-women, with 
their high-crowned hats and neat white caps, were a show 
of themselves, and comical they looked to us unsophistica- 
ted Yankees. 

From Antwerp we took the railway, via Ghent and 
Calais, to England. Ghent we found to be a fine-looking 
old town, with some large and elegant-looking public and 
business buildings and churches in it, and we desired very 
much to spend a half day there, but our engagements did 
not permit us, nor could we devote the time to it. We 
experienced the more regret, because this place is associa- 
ted with one of our most important treaties with England : 
that made by Clay, Adams, and Gallatin, as our ministers 
plenipotentiary. 

The surface of the country is altogether too flat, but 
everywhere is exceedingly well cultivated. Considerable 
portions of it are sandy, and we were rather surprised at its 
general appearance, and fruitfulness. A large part of the 
labor of the field, as in the parts of France we were in, is 
performed by women and children. Indeed these are seen 
in the proportion of about four to one ; the male popula- 
tion, young and middle-aged men, mostly being engaged 
as either sailors or soldiers. 

We should judge the country very well governed, from 
what we have seen. This kingdom presents the anomaly 
of a strictly Roman Catholic people and a Protestant king 
and royal family. The Senate and Chamber of Commerce 



272 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 

are largely Catholic, and the monarch is said by his people 
to he very conservative. When we remember the cruel 
persecutions the Protestants suffered in the Netherlands, 
especially in the cities in this part of the country, in- 
flicted under Philip II., of Spain, through the servile and 
infamous Duke of Alva and his brutal victorious soldiery, 
it is surprising that this nation is now one of the most obe- 
dient and faithful to the Church of Rome in all Europe. 
The laws are said not to be burthensome, while all religions 
are fully tolerated ; and so far as we could judge from obvi* 
ous appearances, general good feeling prevails. 

What considerably surprises an American at first, is the 
habitual and almost universal disregard of the Sabbath by 
the people of the cities. The stores and trading establish- 
ments of Brussels and Paris are mostly open on the Sab- 
bath, the same as on any other day, except those of the few 
Protestants, (and not excepting all of these,) and occasion- 
ally one of some unusually strict and zealous Catholic. The 
stranger can scarcely perceive any difference, indeed, be- 
tween the Sabbath and any other day. In Brussels we 
saw no buildings or mechanical work going on on the Sun- 
day, but in Paris we did. We also saw ladies in both 
places go from mass to do a little shopping ; and every ba- 
zaar, confectionary, cafe, and restaurant, is quite as much 
frequented as on any other day. Many take advantage of 
the day of rest to patronize their tailor, boot-maker, or 
milliner, or to lay in their weekly supplies of dry goods 
and groceries, 

However, the people everywhere seemed prosperous and 
happy, and the broad fields yield abundance, both for man 
and beast. Once more, adieu ! 



LETTER No. XIII. 

London, October 3d, 1857. 

Dear Mother M # * # # : 

This being the last letter we intend inditing from this 
side of the Atlantic, before recrossing that stormy water 
and bidding adieu to " Old England," we must send it to 
you, who so often exclaim, in the fullness of your heart — 

" England, with all thy faults, I love thee still !" 

Ten days after our return from Belgium, and again set- 
ting foot on the shores of rock-bound, ocean-girt Albion, 
we commenced sight-seeing all we could while privileged 
to breathe and enjoy its congenial, and to us, balmy air. 
"We landed at Dover about eleven o'clock at night, and after 
a half hour in the hands of the custom-house officers of 
her Majesty, we found our welcome bed, from which, after 
a refreshing rest, we arose betimes, and took an early 
view of its lofty old castle, with over three hundred guns. 
It is a fine old fort, and a noble and sure defence to this part 
of the coast, and the harbor, which is almost underneath 
it. At the present time there are but few soldiers quarter- 
ed in it, barely sufficient for guard duty and cleanliness, 
though it is amply provisioned and armed for its full com- 
plement of defenders in a long siege. If properly defended 
it must be impregnable, by land and sea. The oldest part 



274 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

of the fortifications are believed to be Roman, though this 
is questionable, as the masonry is certainly not pure Ro- 
man. However, from earliest times watch-towers, and 
some sort of fortifications, have existed in this imme- 
diate neighborhood. There are many heavy guns, but the 
most curious piece of ordnance here, or in the world, is 
Queen Elizabeth's " pocket-pistol," a beautiful piece, of 
brass, twenty-four feet long, and it is said by some, that it 
will carry a ball across the Channel ! That is a consider- 
able exaggeration. But it will carry a ball about seven 
miles. We judged it to be a twelve-pounder, or there- 
abouts. 

The extensive new barracks near by are well built of 
brick, and adapted for the comfortable accommodation of 
a large body of troops. The requirements of the opera- 
tions against China and the insurrection in India have 
withdrawn nearly all the soldiers of the British army to 
those distant countries, and the present force in the home 
fortifications, encampments and barracks is less than it has 
been for many years, and, as many think, less than pru- 
dence would dictate. 

The town has not much to boast of in the way of archi- 
tecture. It lies close to and along the docks, under the 
towering chalk cliffs, and is of no great importance, except 
for its proximity to France, and as an entrepot for passen- 
gers between the two countries. It is one of the old Cinque 
Ports, and still enjoys some remnants of their once import- 
ant special privileges. 

A few miles north-east from Dover is the town of Deal, 
and the ancient Walmer Castle, originally built as one oi 
the seaport and coast defences, as well as a protection to 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 275 

the anchorage of the Downs, which is within cannon- 
shot of the castle. Between this place and Deal is the 
South Foreland, on which there has been a lighthouse from 
time immemorial. A few miles further north is the older 
town of Sandwich, also one of the original Cinque Ports, 
and till within a hundred years a strongly fortified town, 
with moat, ditch, and a heavy walled embankment encirc- 
ling it, but now a dull and rapidly decaying place, without 
commerce, and with less than half its once numerous 
population. It is recorded in the " Doomsday Book," 
which was made out somewhere about the year 1050, that 
" Sandwich paid £40 of ferme and 40,000 herrings food 
to the monks yearly rent"— at the present time we doubt 
whether it could manage to pay half as much rent per 
annum, if called upon to do so. 

The town, which we believe was at one time twice as 
large as it is now, was doubtless commenced to be built 
by the soldiers of Julius Caesar, but was afterwards aban- 
doned by them. Near by is a place called Richboro — now 
certainly a very inappropriate name — where are the best 
preserved and oldest Roman remains in Great Britain. 
Richboro was in those early times a seaport, but the sea 
having receded from it (as may be plainly seen) the people 
and business gradually transferred themselves to Sand- 
wich, which became, and for a long time remained, an im- 
portant place. 

Our ride on the coach- top to Richboro was delightful, 
the morning being fresh and clear, with an exhilarating sea 
breeze blowing, which we fairly quaffed with more than 
the Bacchanalian delight of revelers over the ruby wine. 
As the coach did not go within half a mile of the ruins, we 

12 






\ 



276 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

alighted, and calling the ferryman, took a seat in his boat 
and crossed over the old Portus Rutupensis, now called the 
Stour, described in the history of the military operations 
of the Romans in this neighborhood as a commodious and 
safe harbor. Now it is upwards of a mile and a half from 
the sea. The fleets of the Romans in all their pride and 
power, sailed, or rather, rowed, into this now dry harbor, 
which was then no doubt surrounded by a busy and 
flourishing population ; but the spot is now distinguishable 
only by ruins, and other evidences of departed prosperity. 

The old castle or fortifications are remarkable for their 
extent and preservation. On this ground beneath our feet, 
then, the great Julius Csesar, fifty-five years before the 
birth of Christ, landed his Roman legions. His first inva- 
sion had failed of complete success, but at the second he 
secured his position (after some bloody and desperate 
battles) by constructing the fortifications of which these 
walls are the remains — striking examples of the durability 
which usually characterizes the work of the Romans. 

The ruins are spread over about six acres, and some of 
the walls are very perfect, though they have been in ruins 
since the Romans were overcome by the Danes, and obliged 
to relinquish their position here, full fifteen hundred years 
ago. The northern wall in many places is quite perfect ; 
its face is as smooth and uninjured as when first built. 
It is about twelve feet thick, and was about twenty-five 
feet high. The masonry is as solid as the everlasting hills, 
and the cement binding the flinty stone courses has become 
as hard as the stones of which the wall is built ; as we as- 
certained by endeavoring to break some of it out in order 
to procure a piece. By way of finish or ornament a double 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 277 

course of brick is run along the face of the wall at every 
four feet of its height. 

While standing contemplating on the events which were 
connected with this interesting spot, our thoughts fell into 
rhyme, and the following lines occurred to us impromptu : 

Here trod the Roman legions bold, 

Here Caesar led his cohorts old, 

And the shrill clarion's notes pealed out, 

And the air was rent with the victor's shout. 

The position was exceedingly well chosen and command- 
ing. When it was selected by Csesar it was protected on 
three sides by sea or marsh, and yet was so elevated that 
from the walls the country could be scanned for many 
miles around. The remaining side was and is now quite a 
plain, for a long distance. The seaside was constantly 
watched, and protected by the Roman galleys. 

These massive, abandoned, and now useless walls form 
a noble monument of the genius, indomitable energy, the 
time-defying labors of the men who planned and erected 
them so long ago. Long as they have stood they may yet 
stand for many generations to come. For fifteen hundred 
years they have been exposed to the never-ceasing action 
of time and the elements, and the materials and work are 
still as strong as when first the fortifications frowned upon 
the defeated Britons. Yet all-conquering, leveling time 
will at last lay in the dust these flinty memorials of those 
stern and inflexible conquerors. Through how many ages, 
wars, and revolutions they have stood ! What fluctuations 
in human affairs, what changes of people, rulers, language, 
religion, of almost everything, in this famous island have 



278 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

they witnessed ! Briton, Roman, Saxon, Dane, Norman, 
have in turn ruled, and finally formed that wonderful 
amalgamated people we call Anglo-Saxon, since these 
walls were erected : will they yet stand long enough to see 
the dominion of some fresh race ? 

"Assyria, Greece, Rome, Carthage — where are they?" 

Ceaselessly the centuries proceed in their solemn, inevi- 
table march, trampling into dust peoples, nations, cities, 
empires, and all their works ; and giving again to nature, 
to the wild beasts, or wilder men, the scenes amidst which 
society shone in the highest polish, refinement, pride, and 
splendor of civilization. 

Near these ruins, to the south, was once a large and. 
fiourishing town ; now not a stone marks its site. The 
plowshare yearly turns up its site, which annually bears 
the fruits of the earth to help support the present genera- 
tion, whose habitations shall perhaps also in due time dis- 
appear, or mingle with the soil on which they stand. The 
farmer who cultivates this ground had picked up some coin 
out of it from time to time. These we purchased to keep 
as souvenirs of our visit to Richboro, and also of the an- 
cient Romans who left them there. 

Returning to Sandwich, (which is about two miles dis- 
tant,) by a foot-path, we visited its oldest churches, of 
which the principal one bears well its age, though Norman 
and early English styles and modes of architecture, of con- 
siderable beauty, are mingled in its walls and decorations, 
and show its creat a^e. There is an old font in it of Tudor 
times, now about four hundred years old, that is very curi- 
ously wrought and carved, with a combination of French 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 279 

and English arms ; the fleur-de-lis, the arms of the Cinque- 
Ports, half a ship's bottom and half a lion, and a most cu- 
rious design of a young child in a sea-shell, or rather par- 
tially out of it. The church was formerly much larger, 
and had a monastery and other religious houses attached 
to it, which have been destroyed long ago. We noticed 
several old tombstones here, having brass or other metal 
signets and plates upon them, and occasionally a quaint in- 
scription. One recorded the death of an old citizen, and 
most modestly closes by saying, " she died a maid ;" while 
another, a few feet from it, informs the passer-by that he 
whose body is there deposited, "was the Maior of this 
towne the year before he died, and died a bachelor !" The 
one was we suppose an offset to the other. 

In traversing the streets we noticed quite a number of 
German-built houses, and on inquiry, found they were 
built by refugees from the Netherlands and Flandp-rs, who 
fled from the persecutions and brutalities of the Duke of 
Alva, and settled here. 

Our next visit was to the ancient and honorable city of 
Canterbury. En passant we must mention the great 
change one witnesses in the scenery, verdure, and foliage 
in crossing from France and Belgium into England. It is 
like walking out of a dry stubble field on to a lawn — or 
suddenly changing from late in the autumn to the first 
month of summer. "While all vegetation is passing into 
the " sere and yellow leaf" on the continent, the beautiful 
fields of England are delightfully fresh, fragrant, and 
green. The difference is remarkable, and much greater 
than we had always imagined it to be. 

We find that most Americans, and not a few English 



280 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

gentlemen, prefer Paris to London, (undoubtedly for its 
pleasant sky, purer air, fun and gayety,) but all, so far as 
our knowledge goes, give English scenery and English 
homes, and the country, preference over all others. It 
did seem strange that now, while all is brown-visaged, 
faded and falling, in garden, wood, meadow and field, on 
the Continent and in our own country, that here, away to- 
wards the icy north the fields, lawns, gardens and forests, 
should be as beautiful as June, and so sweet and exhilira- 
ting that the enjoyment of the season and the senses is not 
unlike the fairest May-day to us. But soon now the 
bright leaves will fall withered here, and then will 

November and December, with brows heavy and dull, 
Leave scarcely a blossom or a blade to cull, 

though it is said the grass in the fields and lawns is quite 
green the year round ! 

Canterbury is one of the oldest towns (within a few 
years a city) in England, and is very prettily located on 
each side of the River Stour, about fourteen miles from 
the sea, and in a narrow, but rich and pleasant vale. Close 
to the town are some lovely hillsides, from whence flow 
several excellent springs of sweet water, which afford an 
abundant supply for the consumption of the people of the 
city. The streets are irregularly laid out, and built in all 
styles, some quaint, ill-shapen and odd enough, while 
others are modern, ornamental and comfortable. The streets 
are roughly paved, and altogether too filthy for an inland 
city. Some of the old Roman wall that formerly enclosed 
the city limits is still standing, and the noble arched and 






NOTES BY THE "WAYSIDE. 281 

towered gateways, splendid monuments of the glories of 
the past, are really beautiful now, though they begin to show 
many signs that the revolving years are slowly but surely 
grinding them back to mouldering dust. 

Poets of every age, since the days of Egbert, have sung 
of Canterbury, and it is almost as renowned in history as 
Rome itself. Here it was that Christianity was first 
preached in England. Here too the first Christian church 
was erected in Great Britain ; and the font out of which 
the first convert to Christianity was baptized, still exists ; 
and here pilgrims of all ages since Christianity had a foot- 
hold, have paid their devotions and redeemed their vows. 
The old poet Chaucer sang — 

■ from every shire's end 



Of Engle-land to Canterbury they wend*- 

The holy blissful martyr for to seek, 

That them hath holpen when they were sick. 

History records that some English children were met by 
Pope St. Gregory in the streets of Rome, who had been 
taken there as captives or slaves, and were to be sold, 
and he then and there resolved that "these Engles must 
be angels," and. shortly after depatched St. Augustine, 
with forty monks, as missionaries to England. Canterbury- 
became their residence. At that time Ethelbert was 
King and Bertha his queen. At first the king compelled 
St. Augustine to hold his meetings beneath the wide 
spreading oaks, but a monastery and Christian church 
were soon established ; the king himself was one of the 
earliest converts to the new religion ; and though his own 
palace was then within the walls of the city, he, after 



282 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

being baptized in the faith of the gospel, in the year of 
our Lord 597, gave St. Augustine his royal residence as an 
offering to the church — taking up his residence from that 
time at Reculver. 

The massive and beautiful Canterbury cathedral, the 
mother of the churches and cathedrals of all England, now 
stands majestically on the spot where stood the old mon- 
astery and priory, the remaining ruins of which are none 
the less interesting and grand, because beneath the shadow 
of the present splendid edifice. A magnificent building it 
now is : 514 feet in length, 71 feet wide, and 235 feet 
high, to the top of the great tower, with a transept 38 feet 
wide, and 290 feet long. The buttresses and wails are in 
proportion. Twice or thrice it has been burned, and al- 
most entirely destroyed — once by the Danes — yet Phoenix 
like it has risen from its ashes, " purified as by fire," more 
beautiful and glorious than ever, and is now truly a ma- 
jestic structure. Grenius, treasure, and labor have com- 
bined to present to the view of the world the most chaste 
and beautiful edifice of the kind that proud England's 
church architecture can boast of, though beautiful churches 
raise their lofty spires throughout the length and breadth 
of the land. The towers of this cathedral are immense 
yet delicately light in appearance and graceful in form. 
The whole front is elaborately adorned with numerous 
statues and designs. The principal arched entrance is a 
splendid piece of work. 

But let us enter. On lifting the eye upward, as we 
slowly tread the pavement of the great nave, how lofty and 
noble appear its magnificent height, the stupendous and 
towering columns, supporting the massive roof, and far 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 283 

away at a distance of five hundred feet, the beautiful old 
stained-glass windows ! The effect is solemn and sublime. 
Formerly the columns, walls, pilasters, and roof were daubed 
(that's the word) with whitewash, but recently it has been 
scraped and cleaned off, and they are now in their native 
beauty. The marble-capped columns, the grain work of 
the Norman interlaced arches, the arches themselves, and 
all the ornamental stonework decorations stand out in their 
original perfection and freshness. The choir, transept, and 
nave are of a beauty which must impress the rudest and 
most careless beholder. 

The canopied niches, gothic fiutings, circular and octa- 
gonal pillars, springing arches to the gallery, and the cir- 
cular windows in the eastern end, are all much to be 
admired. As is the case with all truly superior produc- 
tions, the longer we looked at them the more admirable 
they seemed. There is a flight of stone steps leading up 
to the sacristy, which the visitor should not fail to see. 
The pilgrims used to ascend these steps on their knees, to 
pay their devotions before the shrine of Thomas a Becket ; 
and they came in such numbers that the pavement in front 
of the spot where the shrine stood is worn away to the ex- 
tent of full an inch of its thickness by the knees of the 
devotees. The chapel and the exact place where the aged 
but intrepid archbishop was so barbarously murdered are 
shown ; also the slab from which a piece of stone was cut, 
which is said to be still colored with his blood. The piece 
of stone is now consecrated and preserved in a casket 
among the relics of the church at Rome. Shortly after 
his death the murdered man was canonized, and created 
" Blessed Saint Thomas of Canterbury ;" his shrine was 

12* 



284 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

placed in the chapel devoted to its reception, with a pomp 
and splendor unprecedented : and certainly the Church 
showed its wisdom in so honoring its faithful and ven- 
erable defender. The amount of wealth that was lavished, 
upon the decoration of this shrine is almost fabulous — at 
least to us of this generation. Pilgrims in unusual num- 
bers from far and near wended their way to the tomb of 
the martyred priest, at which we are told great miracles 
and cures were performed. You have heard of the Can- 
terbury pilgrims. People of all classes, conditions, and 
professions — the noble and ignoble, clergy and laity, from 
all parts of England and from abroad, as far as the religion 
and power of the Church of Rome extended, nocked to the 
shrine so eminently favored by Heaven, to offer before it 
their prayers and oblations. An old writer says on this 
subject : "In the year 1500 the wealth here lavished ex- 
ceeded all belief. Notwithstanding the great size of the 
shrine, it is wholly covered with plates of pure gold; yet 
the gold is scarcely seen, because it is covered with various 
precious stones, as sapphires, diamonds, rubies, and 
emeralds ; and wherever the eye turns, something more 
beautiful than the rest was observed." 

There used to be five great windows in this chapel that 
represented in stained glass St. Thomas's miracles and 
cures, but they have been destroyed by Vandals or fire, it 
is not known which. 

Standing on the spot where St. Thomas a Becket fell, 
the coup d'oeil is magnificent. The numerous lofty 
columns, the gracefully curving arches forming the roof, 
the fine perspective, the varying light and shade — alto- 
gether present a scene not unworthy of the power and 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 285 

grandeur of the Church of Rome, which, when this cathe 
dral was built, was spiritual and almost temporal mistress 
of Christendom. No engraving or painting that we have 
seen does it justice, nor do we believe that the pencil can. 
The finest and most correct engravings of Canterbury that 
we have seen are those from the drawings of Louis Lau- 
rence Raze, a very superior artist, the hospitality of 
whose house we had the good fortune to enjoy. 

The organ of this cathedral was originally in the 
transept, but as it interfered with the view, it has been 
moved up into the triforum, and is now ninety-two feet 
from the place where the finger-board is, and where the 
organist sits to play it. It seemed to us a surprising fact, 
that no loss of tone or power was suffered by this con- 
trivance. What skill must the organist use to graduate 
his time, and how nicely arranged must be the stops ! for 
some seconds elapse between the moment when the player's 
finger touches the board, and the production of the sound. 
And how beautifully those sweet sounds harmoniously de- 
scend and float on the air, around and through the long 
aisles, again mount upward and dies away amid the 
lofty arches ! The cadences and tones are said t« be very 
sweet indeed. This arrangement was very surprising to 
us, as we had never seen or heard of a similar contrivance 
before. 

The numerous monuments and tombs in this cathedral 
are many of them of great beauty of design ; among them 
are some very old, curious, and interesting. The same 
may be said of the chapels, particularly that of our Lady 
the Virgin Mary, and of St. Michael, St. Anselm, and St. 
Thomas a Becket. Each of these is enriched with sple^ 



288 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

did tombs and mausoleums. The bodies of cardinals, 
bishops and archbishops, Catholics and Protestants, lie in 
undisturbed repose. One of the first monuments is that of 
Archbishop Courtney, lying at full length in his official 
robes. We saw here the tomb of the famous Edward the 
Black Prince, that model and paragon of ancient chivalry. 
It is still quite perfect. His full-length figure in brass 
surmounts it, and he is armed cap-a-pie, with casque and 
helmet in hand ; above his monument are suspended his 
gauntlets, curiously wrought and gilt, and his coat of fur 
and fleece, once richly embroidered with gold, but now 
much dilapidated and time-worn, as may be supposed — the 
wearer having left it off some four hundred years ago. 

The tombs of Henry IY. and his Queen Joan — Arch- 
bishop Peckham, with his effigy in Irish bog-oak, now 
six hundred and fifty years since it was placed here — the 
Duke and Duchess of Clarence — the venerable Archbishop 
Langton, whose name is immortally connected with 
Magna Chart a — Dean Featherby, who was known as the 
" good Dean," on which are shown in marble all the bones 
of the human body, separately arranged, as if it were a 
wreath around the tomb, a very singular and intricate 
piece of work, more curious and strange than pleasing — 
also the tomb of a Miss Miles, who was called in her day 
the Beauty of Kent — and one to Brigadier General Taylor, 
a distinguished officer of the British army, who fell in the 
service — are all well worth close attention. 

The present archbishop's chair or throne in the presby- 
terium, is a very exquisite piece of work, in white marble. 
Together with its beautiful canopy it cost upwards of six 
thousand dollars. There is also another chair of stone, 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 287 

common granite, here, made quite rudely, in four pieces, 
now over thirteen hundred years old, in which the old 
kings, and afterwards the archbishops, used to be crowned. 
It is a curious and substantial piece of furniture ! The 
baptistry contains an elegant font of marble. 

The Chapter-house, in which the bishops are elected, is 
a fine old building, detached from the cathedral, but enter- 
ed by a corridor leading from the north side, out of which 
there used to be passages to the cloisters of the monks. 
The roof of this building is of Irish bog-oak, and was once 
handsomely gilted and painted, which was a display of 
bad taste and a waste of money — for the wood itself is 
capable of so high a polish, and is so beautiful and rare, 
that painting or endeavoring to improve was quite a work 
of supererogation. The bog-oak is now very seldom found, 
and what is met with is manufactured into ladies' bracelets, 
and such small articles and ornaments, being highly es- 
teemed for its rarity, and other good qualities. 

This room is quite large, has no ornaments or decora- 
tive work, and no seats, except one tier of stone benches 
running around the room, close to the wall. It will soon 
begin to decay rapidly unless put in repair. The roof, 
however, is as solid as when first built. It is a singular 
fact, that no insect or worm ever eats or disturbs the wood, 
of which it is made, nor do spiders build their webs upon 
it. Not the thread of a web can "be seen upon it, though 
it has been exposed to them as a sure habitation for hun- 
dreds of years ! 

The crypt of this cathedral is a curious and wonderful 
structure, and by far the finest one we have anywhere seen. 
That of the Pantheon in Paris, or of St. Paul's, in London, 



288 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

is far inferior to it. The immense bases and foundations 
of columns on which the whole superstructure is built, are 
enormous, and stand out in the boldest relief. Previous to 
the Reformation there was a richly-ornamented and gilded 
chapel underneath, for the monks and priests, but now it 
is all destroyed. This was formerly "laden with riches," 
and " presented a royal habitation for our Lady, the Virgin 
Mother," from which the public gaze was entirely excluded 
till long after the Reformation began. The long, dark, and 
heavy-arched aisles, in those days were each hung in the 
centre and lighted with beautiful silver lamps, and the 
rings in which they were suspended may still be seen. 

In the chapels, as well as in the crypt, are many old 
tombs, some of which contain the remains of once great 
and distinguished personages. Their inscriptions are fre- 
quently exceedingly quaint and humorous to us of the 
present day. One of the following, we transcribed from 
the original, and the other from the portfolio of an old 
writer, who copied it years ago : 

" Stay, gentle reader, pass not slightly bye 
This tombe so sacred to the memory 
Of noble Thornhinot. What he was, and who, 
There is not room enough in me to show ; 
# Now his brave story out at iength t'explaine : 

Both Germany, the new found world, and Spaine, 
Ostende long se^dge, and Newport battle, try'd 
His worth ; at last warring with France he dy'd ; 
His blood sealed by last conquest for Bloockekee, 
Gave him at once A Death and Victory. 
His death as well as life victorious was. 
Fearing least these (as might be brought to pass) 
By others might be lost in tyme to come, 
He took possession till the day of Dooine." 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 289 

Who " noble Thornhinot" was we have not been able to 
discover, though it seems he figured in our part of the 
world, "the new-found world," and his name and gal- 
lantry were thus endeavored to be preserved — handed 
down to posterity, as we say — in this cathedral. The lan- 
guage of the inscription is rather unintelligible, and 
defies all the laws which now protect the " Queen's 
English." 

The following, an epitaph on a namesake of the first 
English Printer, and his wife, is recorded on a slab 
in the Church of St. Alphaye, a little way from the 
cathedral : 



" Pray for the sawlys of John Caxton, and of Jone, 
And Isabel, that to this Church great and good hath done, 
In making new in the Chancel 
Of Deskys and seats as well, 
An antiphon the which did bye ; 
With the table of the martyrdom of St. Aphye, 
For nothing much which did pay, 
And departed out of this life of October the 12 day ; 
And Mabell, his second wif, 
Passed to bliss, where is no strife, 
The XII day, to tell the trowth, 
Of the same moneth, as the Lord knoweth, 
In the year of our Lord God a thousand four hundred 
Fowerscore and five." 



Another, in the old North- Grate church of this city, is so 
quaint and humorous, we copy it for your benefit. It is 
recorded on a plate of brass, sunk in the wall, with a rude 
human figure etched upon it, supposed to represent the in- 
terred. Coming from his mouth is a label, inscribed, " Oh, 



290 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

Mother of God, have mercy on me !" and beneath it, verba- 
tim et literatim, are these lines : 

" All ye that Stand op pon mi corse 
re mem bar but raff brown I was 
All dyr' man and mayur of thys cete, 
Jesu o pon mi sowle have pete." 

The sense of this inscription is certainly intelligible, 
though the orthography is now antiquated. We could not 
refrain from smiling at the words, in which the writer 
could probably see nothing droll or amusing. 

But the Church of St. Martin, just on the rise of ground 
on the south-eastern side of the city and cathedral, is a 
most interesting place. It is the first church in which 
Christianity was preached in Britain, and in which the 
new religion was first embraced by a British king. The 
original building was erected by the Roman soldiery, about 
the year 187 or 200, and in it St. Augustine preached his 
first sermon, after coming to Canterbury, about 596. The 
building now standing is small, but how great, how vast, 
the results of the events with which it is associated ! The 
small square tower and most of the front are covered with 
a magnificent ivy, that has thrown its clasping arms 
around it for ages upon ages past, and doubtless will cling 
to it for ages yet to come. On every side how lovely was 
the scene surrounding this sacred spot ! We could not 
avoid the thought, that here was a resting place where 
one could wish one's mortal remains to be laid until re- 
called to life on the resurrection morn. 

The inside is plain, kept in neat order by a young girl, 
and has a few simple decorations. The old font, which we 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 291 

before mentioned, and out of which St. Augustine "baptized 
his first converts to Christianity, stands at the right of the 
doorway as you enter, and bears unmistakable marks of 
its age and genuineness. The simple nave and partly 
stained-glass window is venerable, and not excelled in 
coloring. It is believed to be anions the first made. One 
of the subjects is the English children in the streets of 
Rome, with the Pope St. Gregory placing his hand upon 
their heads, as he says, "these Engles must be angels." 
The other is the priest Ludovicus, and Ethelbert's good 
Queen Bertha. These are indeed real gems, the coloring 
being most beautiful. There is also to be seen here Queen 
Bertha's oratory, where she daily said her prayers, and a 
rude and ancient stone coffin, called her tomb, which is 
partly built into the wall, and partly visible, beneath an 
arch built over it. It is without inscription, and is plain 
and unadorned, but is believed to be genuine, as no doubt 
it is. Its appearance and position indicate that its occu- 
pant was some one of high rank, and both chronicle and 
tradition inform us that the body of that queen was laid 
here. Standing within those ancient walls, we seemed to 
feel the hallowing influences of the associations clustering 
around them for sixteen centuries. We were loth to leave 
the spot. It was a place where the weary could be at rest, 
and the soft, deep green grass plat gently sloping to the 
roadside, dotted here and there with a mound or a tomb- 
stone, and the fine yew trees and scattered evergreens, 
make it as beautiful as it is poetical, venerable, and sacred. 
The " Dane John," as it is called, is a charming park, 
with a great circular mound near the centre, having a 
winding path to its top, from which you may behold a 



292 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

prospect which is truly English, and as beautiful as it is 
characteristic. The park is always open to strangers and 
citizens, and is a fashionable and delightful promenade. 

We formed quite an attachment for this picturesque old 
city of Canterbury. Its noble cathedral, and other most 
interesting edifices, its great antiquity., the great events 
which have transpired in the city and its neighborhood, the 
frequent reference to it in the history of England, which 
you know in fact is our history — all this was enough to 
give it a conspicuous place among the many recollections 
we hope long to retain of what we have seen during our 
instructive though too hurried tour. But Canterbury is 
fixed in our memory still more durably for other reasons : 
there we met with and parted from some of our dearest 
friends ; there we experienced the hearty hospitality which 
the English love to extend to those they believe to be en- 
titled to their friendship. There we ceased to feel like 
strangers and sojourners, and to our friends there we bade 
adieu with sincere regret and swelling hearts. And now 
the venerable old city, its impressive memorials of the 
past, its ivy-clad ruins, the delightful rural scenery around, 
the kind warm friends we left there, the pleasant hours and 
days we spent there — all are mingled together, and form a 
delightful passage in our life, to which we shall ever 
recur with pleasure and satisfaction. 

In London once more, we found our way again to St. 
Paul's Cathedral, and found fresh beauties to admire in the 
perfect and elegant yet vast proportions of that noble 
edifice. And with undiminished interest we asfain wan- 
dered about beneath the sublime dome, viewing the tablets 
monuments, inscriptions, and statues, which recall and 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 293 

record the names and deeds of many good and illustrious 
men. 

Next day we made our way to the British Museum, a 
noble and invaluable collection of objects illustrating or 
appertaining to the sciences of natural history and geology, 
antiquities, and what we may call curiosities — besides an 
extensive library of we forget how many miles of shelves 
and millions of books. It is a vast and yet elegant build- 
ing, in the Grecian style, three hundred and seventy feet 
long. The grand portico is adorned with forty-four columns 
five feet in diameter, and forty-five feet high. On the 
tympanum are large sculptured representations of the 
arts and sciences. The building is divided into numerous 
capacious rooms and halls, each devoted to some particular 
department of natural science or to the remains and memo- 
rials of some savage or ancient people. There is an im- 
mense number of preserved specimens of birds, beasts, 
fishes, insects, plants, scientifically arranged. There are 
few species of the animal or vegetable world but have 
here a representative. Specimens too of every precious 
stone, of the various rocks and formations composing the 
crust of our earth, of the huge antediluvian remains found 
therein, are here arranged in order ; and the student of 
geology, botany, entomology, conchology, or any of the 
kindred sciences, can here examine at his ease the objects 
of his study. Then there are large handsome and appro- 
priate halls devoted to splendid and interesting and won- 
derfully well preserved sculptures and antiquities, Egyptian, 
Greek, Roman, &c. The Elgin marbles alone are worth a 
journey to see, and would repay any one for days of exami- 
nation. Several rooms are occupied by mummies. Nu- 



294 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

merous others are filled with cases in which are displayed 
ornaments, vases, porcelains, potteries, coins, utensils, 
British, Saxon, Celtic, Roman, Etruscan, Hindoo, Mexican, 
and of we should think every other people who have left 
any traces of their existence. But perhaps the most in- 
teresting of all are the recent exhumations of Layard from 
Nineveh, Koyunjik, and Babylon. They are truly imposing 
and surprising. Grazing upon them, we feel in the presence 
of the ancient world — surrounded by a civilization and 
race new to us, and yet passed away ages ago. And these 
remains are invaluable too, and indeed most valuable, as 
corroborating the records and statements and language of 
the Old Testament — records of the history, events, customs, 
and condition of people and rulers alluded to in the Bible. 
The palace, the slaves, the armies of Sennacherib, you 
may easily imagine, as they really existed, after you have 
examined these sculptures and remains. We fancied we 
could see 

" The Assyrian come down like the wolf on the fold, 
His cohorts all gleaming in purple and gold." 

The huge man-bulls, lion-bulls, and sphinxes, that once 
stood at the halls and gates of his palace— the long and 
animated basso-relievos that adorned his walls — the utensils 
of his household, the monographs, tombstones, and ceno- 
taphs of many of his subjects or slaves are placed before 
the eye ; and the corpses of those who have lain buried for 
thousands of years instruct us in the condition and history 
of their time and nation. What lessons are here taught to 
man ! What a long solemn procession of ages thought 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 295 

presents to the mind, and how the associations, events, and 
history of the past crowd upon the imagination, and march 
by in a grand review ! 

One cannot help thinking earnestly, while beholding this 
astonishing resurrection of a departed and almost forgotten 
civilization. Infidelity is obliged to believe, many a doubt 
is removed, and many a captious objector and caviler 
silenced. The insight into antiquity given by these dis- 
coveries is an addition to human knowledge worthy of the 
nineteenth century. Christianity, which has received so 
many imaginary overthrows, receives additional confirma- 
tion — as it has done from every other great addition to 
human knowledge. The personal exertion and self-denial, 
the determination and energy displayed by Layard in 
bringing to light and in exposing to the scrutiny of science 
these interesting and important relics of a once great 
nation, cannot be too highly praised, and certainly will 
never be sufficiently rewarded. 

The labor of such a work must have been very great ; 
and when the climate, the difficulty of getting the neces- 
sary laborers, machinery, and tools together, is taken into 
consideration, we must conclude the task was herculean. 
But what cannot genius and Anglo-Saxon energy accom- 
plish when properly applied ? The enterprising English- 
man or Yankee fairly overturns mountains or casts them 
into the sea ! Our visit to this museum was of the most 
gratifying character, though too hurried. The great library 
we regretted we could not enter, it not being visitors' day 
for its rooms. 

We will now go with you if you please to the Bank of 
England. The building we have before described, and you 



296 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

will remember it stands by itself, opposite the Exchange, 
fronting on Threadneedle street. It is divided into two de- 
partments : one for issue, and one for deposit and discount. 
After registering our name, and surrendering our ticket of 
admission to one of the Directors, we were shown to one of 
the private rooms, and the great vaults containing about 
45,000,000 of dollars in -specie. We were allowed to take 
in our hands bank notes amounting to millions upon mil- 
lions, but canceled ! While here we could but call to 
mind Hood's poem, when he sings of 

Gold ! gold ! gold ! gold ! 
Bright and yellow, hard and cold ; 
Molten, graven, hammered, and rolled, 
Heavy to get, and light to hold ; 
Hoarded, bartered, bought and sold ; 
Stolen, borrowed, squandered, doled ; 
Spurned by the young, but hugged by the old 
To the very verge of the charged mold ! 
Price of many a crime untold ! 
Gold! gold! gold! gold! 
Good or bad, a thousand fold ! 

But there are notes, "promises to pay," made and 
issued here to represent the " goold i' th' till," as well as 
the heaps in bags. All the paper for the notes is made 
within the building, and there are 30,000 impressions daily 
struck off by the printing presses, making 9,000,000 
per annum, representing the almost fabulous sum of 
£300,000,000 sterling, equal to $1,500,000,000. The 
same notes are never paid out a second time, and the 
quantity of them canceled daily is enormous. For all the 
immense sums of money we had seen and handled, we 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 297 

went out no better off than we came in, nor were we 
envious and covetous of what we saw. For after all, gold 
is not the greatest of blessings : a true friend is better than 
a heap of it. 

What is friendship but a name, 

A charm that lulls to sleep, 
A shade that follows wealth or fame, 
And leaves the wretch to weep 1 ? 

says Goldsmith, who probably wrote that when he was in 
one of his many difficulties. But " a true friend is above 
gold or rubies or all manner of precious stones," says a 
wiser than Oliver Goldsmith — aye, invaluable and incom- 
parable ! We prefer still the true friend to the glistening 
gold — that is as often abused as used. 

" Though the pleasures of London exceed 
In number the days of the year," 

we hardly knew where next to go, but finally, having a 
" tasting order," we made our way to the great and sur- 
prising vaults of the London Docks. Having reached the 
office we are furnished a guide and lights, as is very ne- 
cessary, and then enter the vast excavations filled with 
cask upon cask, and puncheon upon puncheon of wines 
and brandies, and various other liquors wherewith men 
regale and sometimes brutify themselves and their friends. 
The fumes are certainly stronger than " hard cider," and 
considerably more satisfactory to the olfactory nerves than 
those from the best distilleries ! The fumes of eleven acres 
of wines, &c, you will allow, would or should satisfy one 



298 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

without tasting much or often. But we did taste some 
that we thought might safely be pronounced superior to 
our purest and best American wines. But among other 
arts we have made great progress in the art of adultera- 
tion : we remembered the old saying, " all is not gold that 
glitters," and that here as well as elsewhere, the seal of 
bond is not always a guaranty of genuineness. It is said 
that thousands of tuns of wines are annually manufactured 
in London, and by certain tricks of trade sold as having 
passed through the " Docks." 

While here we were but a few steps from the famous 
Thames Tunnel, but as it is little used, and in a state that 
is by no means agreeable, if not actually in a dangerous 
condition, we did not go to see it. It is very damp, and 
water drips through from the river considerably at times, 
so- that the people do not pass to and fro in it as over the 
bridges, indeed, scarcely any, except as a matter of 
curiosity. 

Beinsf en^a^ed with some kind friends to dine at six 
o'clock, at Croydon, a pretty town of thirty thousand in- 
habitants, fourteen miles from London, we took the 
Brighton Railway, in time to participate in the hospitable 
welcome and hearty jovial festivities, in genuine English 
style, which were given in honor of the gentleman's fifty- 
fourth birth-day. Here we discovered that the English 
man of business, however extensive it may be, and how- 
ever devoted he may be to it at his place of business, loves 
his home too well to take any of his business cares there ; 
and though secluded, as we have before said, behind stone 
walls, and hedges, or embowered in deep woods, safe from 
the gaze of the world, his home is a home indeed, where 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 299 

he opens his heart, and exercises a noble generosity, and 
enjoys with his family and friends the pleasures of 
social intercourse. The cold conventionality, the fre- 
quently awkward politeness which the Englishman main- 
tains in business life, and which strike the casual 
observer, form no part of his domestic character ; the 
stiffness and abruptness of the London merchant are 
left behind him in the office with his ledger ; all the annoy- 
ances, irritations, hopes and fears of the tradesman and 
merchant are entirely forgotten and shaken off. The quiet 
joys, the comforts, pleasant little tasks, and home interests 
that make life sweet, the family a magic circle of love and 
delight, and the domestic fireside the most attractive spot 
in the whole world — to possess these, to enjoy them for a 
brief time, at least, every day, is still the great aim, often 
almost the sole hope and ambition, of the moneyed and 
mercantile men of England. Great and unusual, indeed, 
must be a loss or difficulty belonging to the counting- 
house, that is allowed to disturb the domestic tranquillity. 
This, we were satisfied, is one of the noblest, and most 
general characteristics of the great business men of all 
England. We wished, with all our hearts, this were so 
everywhere. How much more delightful, happy, and truly 
prosperous, in the best sense of the word, w T ould mankind 
be. The distresses and sorrows of life would often be 
softened or removed, where now they wear away the body, 
fever the brain, and embitter existence ; the amenities of 
our daily intercourse would be sweeter, and more sincere 
and pleasant ; and the care, anxiety, and close application 
to business, which, at the best, undermine the health, and 
shorten life, would be counteracted by the pleasant anti- 



300 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

dote of domestic cheerfulness and enjoyment. We are not 
of those who believe that he 

" Who breathes, must suffer ; and who thinks, must mourn ; 
And he alone is blest, who ne'er was born." 

No ; but with Tom Moore, 

" Until they can show me some happier planet. 
More social and bright, I'll content me with this ;" 

for we believe the world was not made in one day, and 
time and opportunity will, no doubt, be given to amend 
many things that do now so sadly need mending. How- 
ever, we have long thought that business men are by far 
too selfish and constrained, too seldom yielding themselves 
to gay and kindly impulses and pleasures, too insensible to 
the duty and privilege of ministering to the wants of 
others. Charity should not be scouted or frowned upon, 
as one of the burdens of life ; the deserving poor should 
not be permitted to go hungry and despairingly away from 
the door of abundance, nor to remain in their own poor 
sheltering places, pining for aid and sympathy. "VVe found 
that the English gentleman has " bowels of compassion" — 
he is wise, humane, charitable. Though proud and exclu- 
sive, he is at the same time honorable, honest, liberal, be- 
nevolent : on these good qualities, not on wealth or birth 
merely, British aristocracy, in all its grades, rests securely. 
The man of ample means, or high station, rarely entirely 
forgets the duties and responsibilities of wealth, but phi- 
lanthropy and religion go hand in hand. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 301 

The fifty-fourth birth-day of our kind friend will long 
be remembered, and that dear family circle over which he 
so lovingly presides will be treasured up in our heart's 
recollection for many a year to come. 

The next day, being engaged at Norwood, another 
beautiful rural place, occupied mostly by business men of 
London, we spent a most delightful day there, and at the 
Crystal Palace, about three-fourths of a mile distant. The 
charming retired residence of our friend, amid bowers of 
roses, evergreens, and the sweet climbing honey-suckles and 
passion-flowers, will forever be retained among our sunny 
memories of England. Enjoying as we did here, and 
everywhere among those we visited, such cordial hospi- 
tality, we would not withdraw too far the curtain of 
private life, to expose even to admiration the scenes of 
home, but must be excused for thus far alluding to what 
gave us so much pleasure — for after being privileged to 
partake of it, 

" One feels a softer splendor 
Flowing o'er the heart like balm," 

and we would ever gratefully acknowledge all kindness to 
us, whether at home or abroad. 

While at the Palace on this occasion, we had the pleasure 
of seeing the whole of the fountains play. We had thought 
Sydenham lovely and beautiful before, but how surpass- 
ingly so when all the fountains display their charms ! 
The largest shooting up two hundred feet high, the beauti- 
ful cascades, the graceful iron temples with falling sheets 
of water all round them, the overflowing vases ranged on 



302 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

either side of the grand cascade from top to "bottom, the 
splendid middle fountain with its delicate zigzag silvery- 
fringe, and the two side and six upper terrace fountains, 
when all playing together, as they were on this occasion, 
afford an unparalleled sight. The magnificent displays of 
the kind at Versailles are different in design ; all their 
mouth-pieces being allegorical. These are plain mouth- 
pieces, the foam and spray forming their own separate de- 
signs and figures as they fall. More than ever before we 
seemed in fairy land, and though this was the third time 
we had visited the palace, we enjoyed it as much as at first, 
and would gladly have visited it many times more. 

The gallery of paintings in the Palace is rapidly filling 
up, and becoming more beautiful and radiant with gems 
of art. The upper show galleries are also filling up with 
handsome stalls of fancy goods, jewelry, &c. 

We noticed particularly at this visit the Wellingtonia, — 
which is the name given to the great American cypress 
tree from California. As our G-overnment did not re- 
tain it, we thought the New-Yorkers might have secured 
this magnificent tree — monarch of the forest- world, unap- 
proached in his grandeur. Now it fills a considerable 
space in this Palace, and is really an astonisher to every 
beholder. It is as great an object as the colossal sphinxes 
of Ramesis II., that stand up here like mountain men, who 
might be supposed to come from the same country as the 
Wellingtonia. "We had heard of this tree at home, but 
had no idea of its immensity. What a trunk ! It has the 
capacity, indeed, of quite a comfortable-sized house, and 
many a family would be glad to live within its shell, free 
of rent. Only a portion of the tree in height is seen here. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 303 

It is braced inside, and reaches to the top of the 
Palace. 

After passing the night at our friend's delightful " lodge," 
we again took the railway to London, where we commenced 
making preparations for our return home. 

In our jottings down, we have not noticed the " Club 
Houses" of London, which are among its most distin- 
guished private institutions, and will be noticed by visitors 
as usually good buildings ; many of them are adorned with 
all the comforts and luxuries of our finest hotels. They 
are supported by the subscriptions of their members, who 
are balloted for when proposed — some of whom spend 
much of their idle time in them, taking their meals there, 
conversing, reading, or lounging. Every man of respecta- 
bility here belongs to his club. The " United Service 
Club," deservedly perhaps, stands as one of the first, if not 
the very first. It occupies a building which, both as to 
the interior and exterior, few of its size surpass or equal. 
We were indebted to an acquaintanceship formed on the 
field of Waterloo, for the privilege of an introduction there. 
Usually those clubs are impenetrable without such a 
friendly introduction by one of the members. 

On Sunday the 4th we proceeded to the Surrey Zoologi- 
cal Gardens, to see and hear preach the celebrated Mr. 
Spurgeon. We got to the Music Hall at half-past nine 
in the morning. The service did not commence till a 
quarter before eleven, yet we were obliged to go thus early 
to get an eligible and comfortable seat. Even at that hour 
over a thousand people had taken their seats, all procuring 
admission by tickets, at a shilling each. By half- past ten 
o'clock the vast body of the hall, and most of the seats 



304 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

in the galleries were filled. At that time the gates are 
opened, and the public have free admission. The shilling 
obstruction, slight as it might seem, being removed, the 
rush is tremendous. At a quarter before eleven, the time 
for the service to begin, what a sight ? Not a seat nor a 
standing place was there in that vast assembly-room ! 
Nearly, if not quite ten thousand people, men and women 
— the larger portion men — are crowded into it, filling it to 
its utmost capacity. The floor and all four of the galle- 
ries were literally packed full. 

At the appointed time the remarkable preacher mounted 
the stand. He is about twenty-four years of age, and not 
extraordinary in his appearance. He seems plain, unos- 
tentatious, and devoid of all airs, and with the utmost 
nonchalance proceed at once to the duties of his office. 
From what we had heard we expected to see some affecta- 
tion, but we did not notice the display of any at all. He 
has a noble voice ; he speaks with much grace, and great 
force and clearness ; his articulation is so perfect and son- 
orous, that though ten thousand persons are assembled, 
not one of the vast assembly can complain of not hearing. 
Every person in the body, aisles, four galleries, and the 
stage, back and front, distinctly hears every word and syl- 
lable, and not a lisp is lost to the ear. He is bold and un- 
compromising, and, so far as we heard, thoroughly evange- 
lical, preaching the word with great simplicity as to 
manner and matter, yet with great power and spirit, 
often beautifully and sublimely eloquent, and always ex- 
tempore. That he has 

" Eloquence that charms and burns, 
Startles, soothes, and wins by turns," 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 305 

is conclusively demonstrated "by the fact that his audiences 
do not fall off. The novelty of his peculiarities and name 
has long since worn away, still the people flock around him 
hy thousands, wherever he preaches, to hear his voice and 
catch his words. 

On this occasion, being the first Sunday after the 
Queen's proclamation for a day of fasting, humiliation, and 
prayer, on account of the disasters in India, he administered 
to her and her Privy Council, (meaning particularly the 
latter), a most severe rebuke, for commanding instead of 
recommending a national fast day. He said that " he 
acknowledged no right on the part of the Queen to issue 
such a command" and that as it was only " to the Church, 
meaning the Church of England, virtually not including 
other denominations of her subjects, or recognizing them 
as Christians, he must dissent from the command, for he 
was a Dissenter. Had she recommended the whole people 
to observe such a day, no offence would have been given, 
and it would have been lovingly and faithfully responded 
to by every class of Christians, and every faithful subject 
of her most gracious Majesty. Still he should observe the 
day, because he thought it fit and proper, land the duty of 
all the people to acknowledge their dependence upon Grod, 
in all their national adversities as well as in their pros- 
perity, and recommended all his congregation to do so 
likewise." 

His sermon was powerful and eloquent — the eloquence 
of the heart — without cant or unnecessary flourish. We 
had somehow formed a considerable prejudice against him, 
but we cheerfully acknowledge, that before he had con- 
cluded his discourse our prejudice had all vanished forever. 



30G NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 

"We are satisfied that he is a man of uncommon genius, 
and that he is working with astonishing success in the sa- 
cred cause in which he is engaged. And it would he 
strange, indeed, if such a man did not make his mark upon 
his age — and equally strange if envy and malice did not 
aim their poisoned shafts at a man of such commanding 
ability. Virtue, sincerity, goodness of heart, and ability 
will always disturb and excite their opposites — littleness, 
hypocrisy, hatred and jealousy ; and no faithful preacher of 
Christianity should expect to be exempt from the gen- 
eral laws that operate alike on human hearts in every 
country of the earth. 
The singing — 

" Language fades before thy spell !" 

— It was astonishing ; such a harmony, and from such a 
multitude of human voices, we had never heard before. 
Oh, how sweetly and sublimely it rose, and swelled to 
heaven, that " Old Hundred !' 5 

" Praise God from whom all blessings flow," 

sung by ten thousand voices — from ten thousand human 
hearts ! It was an anthem of praise indeed, and such a 
one as mortals seldom hear. The effect on us, and not on 
us alone, was almost overpowering. Our eyes were suf- 
fused with tears, our voice would not obey our wishes, and 
we could not sing, but were well content to listen to the 
glorious and soul- animating harmonies. 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 307 

This immense assem bly of people had not come together 
out of mere idle curiosity, for more than three-fourths of 
them had books, which they brought with them, and 
nearly all united in the singing. There were compara- 
tively very few children in the congregation, and the ut- 
most order prevailed. During the whole of the service a 
pin could have been heard to drop. 

Having made our last call on Monday, the next day we 
bade adieu to London, and reached Southampton, via the 
South-western Railway. The country along the road was 
as beautiful as we had found it in our excursions through 
other portions of this highly-favored island. 

Southampton we found a pretty and a business place, 
rapidly growing into commercial importance. We now 
felt that our time was nearly up on this side of the water, 
and that we must bid farewell, a long farewell, to England, 
to her green fields and charming landscapes and happy 
homes, as well as to the many now doubly dear friends 
and relations with whom we had met, and whose welcome 
we had received. Though the winds blew, and the rain 
beat violently around us, we steamed down "the South- 
ampton "Water," and embarked with beating hearts and 
eager anticipations for our home o'er the .deep. As we 
sailed upon that beautiful sheet of water, we sighed many 
an adieu to the emerald shores that seemed floating past 
us. Often will memory recall them — and the pleasant 
days we spent there, and the friends we leave behind. 

Adieu, once more, fair land ! Dear friends, adieu ! Now 
" homeward bound" we glide over the rolling waves, to- 
wards our own loved country, impatiently longing to see 
once more its forest-clad hills and far-stretching prairies ; 

14 



308 



NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 



which we love none the less for having left for a brief time, 
to view the ancient monuments, and sweet scenes, and 
enjoy the hospitality, of that noble " Old England," that 
will soon be lost to our sight. Adieu ! 



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